A long-standing demand to merge 125 gram panchayats—encompassing 285 border villages and the Badhapur Nagar Panchayat in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor district—with neighboring Uttarakhand has gained fresh momentum.
During a key meeting of the Uttarakhand Sangharsh Samiti held at Bhikkawala village, community leaders, youth and former soldiers resolved to escalate their movement. The committee announced a mass public awareness campaign and plans to hold a proposed referendum to formalise local sentiment. They will also submit memorandums to the chief ministers of both states and the central government.
The core of the villagers' frustration lies in geographic isolation and administrative neglect. Residents argue that being part of a vast state like Uttar Pradesh cuts them off from vital development, as the district headquarters in Bijnor is far away, whereas Uttarakhand’s infrastructure is right at their doorstep.
"We have been battling for this inclusion for years. UP government records show that some of our houses are in Uttarakhand, while our agricultural lands are listed in UP. Our village is just four kilometers from Kotdwar in Uttarakhand, but Bijnor is 50 km away," said Shashi Dabaral, a resident of Talla Dhak village.
Samiti’s convener Manmohan Dudpudi highlighted systemic lapses in education, healthcare, roads, electricity and employment. He emphasised that the movement is fundamentally about public welfare and ensuring basic amenities for over two lakh affected residents spanning Najibabad, Nagina and Dhampur tehsils.
Locals are of the opinion that the current political climate offers a golden opportunity to rectify the map. With BJP holding power in both Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, as well as at the Centre, villagers are highly optimistic that a legislative solution is within reach.
"Now that the same party is in power in both states, they can easily address our long-pending demand," said Shakil Ahmad, a resident of Badhapur.
Uttarakhand Sangharsh Samiti has scheduled its next strategy meeting for July 19 at the Shiv temple premises in Bhikkawala to outline the next phase of the agitation.
