Khajuripada: The district administration seems to have done nothing to provide a road to Meniankathi village, which is surrounded by forests.
People of this village still do not have basic facilities like safe drinking water and a road. Meniankathi belongs to the Sudreju panchayat of Khajuripada block in Kandhamal district. But the village was added to Tutipaju panchayat of Phulbani block instead.
The local administration has been asking the villagers to leave their village where they have been staying for generations. They were told to move to any other nearby village as development is likely to be delayed in Meniankathi.
The villagers depend on small streams and pits in the forests for drinking water and water for other household needs. The scorching summer adds to their woes and they face lots of problems to fetch even a bucket of water.
The precarious living conditions of the villagers and the problems of Meniankathi village were reported in Orissa POST a few months back. The villagers had also invited block administration officials to their village to enlighten them about local issues.
Heeding the request of the villagers, Phulbani block development officer Subrat Kumar Jena and block chairperson Manju Kahanr had visited the village.
Later, Collector Brundha D invited the villagers and asked them to shift to a nearby village. She also assured them that their demand for lands and houses will be granted.
However, the Collector’s assurance did not move the villagers. Reacting, the villagers said, “We are having lands and houses in Meniankathi. In all past elections we have voted for local leaders. However, none of them have kept their word in resolving our problems.”
Elementary education and basic healthcare are daydreams here. Villager Gopinath Patra said, “We have to walk to Bhetkhol which is nearly 10 km away from our village to collect PDS rice and other commodities.”
Around 150 families are staying in Meniankathi and it has been added to a new panchayat. The villagers have demanded road facility and provision of safe drinking water.