Keonjhar: Seventy-two years after Independence, many villagers in mineral rich Keonjhar district still reel from backwardness with basic facilities eluding them.
Welfare schemes and progammes are inaccessible to them. The government has launched KALIA and PEETHA yojnas to hasten development work in the election year. But people in Kadakala village under Bansapal block were miffed over underdevelopment.
People of Bhuyan community came a long way to the district headquarters to lodge their protests over the issue.
As elections come closer, continued underdevelopment has left the villagers fuming. They have warned of poll boycott. They submitted a memorandum in this regard to the Collector Wednesday.
The village is inhabited by Bhuyan tribals who alleged that they have no road while no officials and leaders have bothered to take note of their plight.
They said that patients have to suffer as ambulance fails to enter village while the government is not building a road under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna.
Swajala Dhara has been ineffective as people have to drink water from a nearby river. Absence of electricity has forced them to live in dark. Kerosene is not available to people, they alleged. Most people don’t have ration cards to ensure food security.
In the memorandum, they said that many people live in shanties and thatched houses as various housing schemes have not been implemented.
As there is no road, residents have to trek 15 km through forested and hilly terrains to reach panchayat office.
In emergency cases, fire tenders and ambulances fail to get access to village. Patients are carried on slings to the main road.
“Many beneficiaries, unable to walk to the panchayat office, are deprived of availing rations,” lamented Sulochana Dehury, a volunteer of Biju Yuba Vahini.
Villagers alleged that the administration is in deep slumber even though their attention is drawn to their problems through media.
They warned of boycotting the coming polls if their problems are not sorted out.
PNN