Beguniapada: The government pumps in crores of rupees for construction of roads to inaccessible villages. However, genuine beneficiaries are deprived of benefits thanks to the negligent attitude of officials concerned and the whimsical nature of the contractors.
Years passed on, but many villages lacked a proper concrete road. A glaring example is the plight of residents of Ragapur village under Bada Khairakhama panchayat of Beguniapada block in Ganjam district.
A concrete road sanctioned for the village under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has been lying incomplete for years together. The contractor who has taken the tender work seems to be least bothered about the plight of residents and continues to delay the construction work from year to year.
Residents here have to trek by foot to reach the local block headquarters for their daily needs. Patients have to be ferried by cots to a particular area from where they can be taken to hospital by a vehicle as ambulance cannot reach the village.
Apparently, the monsoon has added to the woes of residents. Roads have been washed away and become muddy due to the rain. Fed up, the residents Saturday took up on their own shoulders the task of constructing the road.
Villagers assembled Saturday and decided to take upon the task by themselves. They worked throughout the day and constructed a proper motorable road. Expressing resentment, they warned of a mass demonstration if a concrete road was not constructed to the village before things turn worse.
When contacted, the rural development department assistant engineer, Rajendra Pradhan, said that the contractor concerned has been delaying the work despite repeated warnings.
“I have issued a warning letter to him and have also apprehended senior officials of the matter. He will be blacklisted if he doesn’t complete the work soon,” Pradhan said.
PNN