Raisuan: Even seventy years after gaining independence, there are a number of remote tribal pockets in the state where people have still been struggling to get basic facilities like drinking water, road, education and healthcare.
Jamaradihi, a tribal village, is one such backward place sandwiched between Baradapal and Mahadeijoda panchayats in Keonjhar.
The sorry state of affairs in Jamaradihi has put a question mark on the efficiency of various rural development and social welfare schemes.
About 90 percent of village kids are suspected to be suffering from malnutrition. The Anganwadi programme, meant to promote pre-schooling for kids, providing nutrition and immunisation for kids and expectant mothers, hasn’t yet implemented here.
With no proper healthcare facilities, the villagers are forced to approach traditional healers or sorcerers for treatment.
“There is nothing you can call a road to our village. It is just a cart track. No four wheelers can travel on it. The village remains inaccessible to healthcare and education,” lamented villagers.
The women here often struggle to receive rightful benefits during their pregnancy period because there are no hospitals nearby.
The Janani Surakhya Yojana seemed to have failed because the local people haven’t yet seen an ASHA or health worker here.
Poverty is evident from the dilapidated and broken thatched houses all over the village. Though the government has been implementing many programmes like Indira Awas Yojana, Mo Kudia, Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the poor tribals haven’t yet received benefits from any such housing schemes.
Reports said about 90 per cent children from the village haven’t received the benefits of education so far even though there is a school in the village.
Since Jamaradihi is situated between hills and forests, the teachers, who fear attack from wild animals, come to the school with escorts, villagers say. The teachers come only to mark their presence and not to educate the children, they allege.
Similarly, about 95 per cent of the elderly persons were left out from social security schemes. Even the pensioners have to trek 17 km to the panchayat office for collecting their benefits. A few people from the village have been covered under the National Food Security Act.
The people demanded immediate steps for the development of their village. PNN