The residents of Bundu township are up in arms against the state Government decision to grant Khunti the status of a district. The residents have requested the state to maintain status quo in the matter. However, the Government is yet to react to the demand.Residents of Bundu, a place dominated by Kurmi Mahatos, point out that once the plan is implemented, the district headquarters will shift from Ranchi to Khunti. “This is not acceptable to us. Compared to Ranchi, Khunti is quite far,” said Ashok Mahato, Secretary of Bundu Bazaar Samiti.“Khunti had the blessings of Karia Munda, Ram Dayal Munda and Chief Minister Madhu Koda whereas we have nobody to help Bundu,” said Ranjit Singh, a Bundu resident. The NDA Government had adopted the plan to declare Ramgarh and Khunti as separate districts in January, 2006. The residents of Bundu have been protesting since then. They suspended their agitation when the Delimitation Commission put the decision on hold. Now, after the panel’s nod, the residents have revived their agitation.“We will paralyse traffic on the highways if our demand is not met,” said Mahato, part of a resistance group.
