Dasmantpur: The villagers of Bagri Beda under Nandigaon gram panchayat in Koraput district had a surprise when a Rs 5 lakh work order to build a road to the village was sanctioned. It materialised following a report in leading Odia daily Dharitri.
At present, the villagers have to walk 5-km on hilly terrain to reach the block office and other government offices in the absence of a proper road. Moreover, the problem multiplies when the villagers have to transport a pregnant woman or a serious patient to the hospital.
Due to lack of a proper motorable road, the village, inhabited mostly by tribals, has no communication, education, health and drinking water facilities.
Neither a politician nor any government official has paid a visit to the village due to lack of road connectivity.
However, the problem is set to end with the sanctioning of Rs 5 lakh work order under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act to Balabhadra Takri of the village to construct a culvert and intersection of hilly roads to the village.
Kolnara labouerers denied minimum wages
Rayagada: Labourers of Kolnara in the district alleged they were not getting the minimum daily wage due to lack of awareness and laxity of the administration.
According to reports, around 60 persons are employed at the construction site of a 12-km-long road connecting Badakhilapadar from the PWD Road under the District Rural Development Department. However, the labourers are getting only Rs 150 per day while the minimum daily wage is Rs 280, which is fixed by the government.
Moreover, there is no clean drinking water facilities at the rest sheds at the site for these labourers, it is alleged.
When contacted, the supervisor who was present at the construction site tried to evade the question saying he was unaware of this.
It is worth mentioning here that the state government has fixed a minimum wage of Rs 280 for unskilled labourers, Rs 320 for semi-skilled and Rs 320 for the skilled labourers per day.
PNN