Badapokharia (Tangi): Badapokharia is a village under Tangi block in Khurda near the National Highway 16 and around 70 km away from the state capital. Despite its proximity to the National Highway and the state capital, the village has been struggling to fulfil the targets under the Centre’s Swachh Bharat Mission (rural).
While 26 Indian states have been declared open defecation free (ODF) by completing 100 per cent toilet construction, Odisha is still grappling with achieving the target. At a time when the state average stands at 77 per cent, villages like Badapokharia have the minimal coverage under the Mission.
According to the Mission statistics, Badapokharia toilet coverage currently stands at 17 per cent while 83 per cent households of the village out of a total 779 households are still deprived of toilets. A visit to the village has revealed that not only toilets but even a pucca road has eluded the village.
Villagers told Orissa POST that they hardly see any government official visiting their village, enquire about their condition and ensure toilet construction. On the other hand, some locals alleged that as the village predominantly votes for the BJP, the ruling party at the Centre is shying away from assisting and developing the village.
“This village has a large number of people defecate in the open. It’s quite uncomfortable for the women who have to go to the open spaces to relieve themselves only during early morning and evening. No government officials are seen visiting our villages to check the status of toilet construction and take stock of the overall situation,” said Rabindra Kumar, a villager from Badapokharia, working as an electrician.
Others claimed that development has eluded their village for ages. Shiv Patsani, a veteran from the village said, “While other villages and gram panchayats are developing we are deprived of many things. Be it the roads or toilet construction; nothing has reached us and thus we feel neglected.”
Patsani also showed a junked changing room adjacent to the village pond lying defunct with bushes all around which was originally constructed by the state government as an amenity.
Several claimed the war between BJD and BJP is the prime reason behind halting of SBM benefits to the village. A septuagenarian requesting anonymity said, “This village is known for supporting BJP … as a result the BJD government neglects us. While other villagers of the area will develop we will be targeted and the benefits will not reach us. That is why the SBM benefits eluded us and the coverage is low.”
A gram panchayat official also accepted the fact that there has been a BJP-BJD tussle among villages in the panchayat but blamed the villagers from Badapokharia for not attending the required meeting related to policy planning. However, other panchayat officials blame other reasons for low toilet coverage in the village.
Amarendra Maharana, an official of the Badapokharia panchayat said, “The main issue is the terrain. In this area we have rocky terrain due to which the input cost is higher. So the villagers are reluctant to invest more on building toilets while the incentive for toilet has been fixed. So, many are discouraged as the government pays only after one household makes a toilet.”
The village sarpanch also echoed same views.
Manish Kumar, OP