Boinda: Four years have passed since work on a bridge over Rainali rivulet near Ranibandh village under Athmallik block in Angul district started, but the bridge is yet to be completed.
While the bridge’s construction has been limited to supporting pillars, the prospect of development of as many as seven villages under Thakurgarh and Maimura panchayats have been affected.
Hundreds of villagers are forced to commute on concrete electric poles laid out across the rivulet, putting their lives in harm’s way.
The government has been giving priority to improve communication facility in tribal-dominated remote areas by constructing bridges. The government had green signalled the construction of a bridge over Rainali rivulet December 21, 2016.
For this, Rs 10,00,000 was allocated to the Western Odisha Development Council and the construction work on the bridge started with the then MLA Sanjeeb Sahu laying the foundation stone for the bridge.
Then, the villagers of Hatashimili and Ranibandh villages of Thakurgarh panchayat, Gopapur, Kansab, Rampur and Jhatikibahal villages of Maimura panchayat thought their days of hardship was short-lived. They had started dreaming of all sorts of developmental activities in their villages. But, their dreams remain unfulfilled.
In order to be able to travel to other places, the villagers have laid out electric poles across the rivulet and are commuting on them. In rainy season, it is always a risky affair to cross the swelling rivulet. Parents often do not allow their children to attend classes in schools on the other side of the rivulet.
The villagers have already taken up the matter with the government officials and political leaders, but to no avail. They have also informed the collector, the block development officer and Sambalpur MP of their suffering due to the absence of a bridge. Similarly, they have brought the attention of Athmallik MLA to the issue as well. The villagers alleged that they have so far only received assurances.
“The government has sanctioned money for the bridge. We are yet to understand as to what has shelved the construction work. The administrative inertia is only to be blamed for this,” alleged Bibhu Prasad Senapati, Anam Charan Swain, Swapneswar Behera and some other villagers.
Echoing the same, Maimura sarpanch Satyananda Rout said the development of seven villages largely depend on the bridge. Presently, the villagers are facing a lot of difficulties in getting construction material to their villages.
The villagers have alleged that the bridgework has been left midway through as the money meant for the bridge has been siphoned off. They said they would resort to mass agitation if the bridge’s construction work is not started at the earliest.
Block development officer, Sanjay Acharya, when contacted, said the construction work had to be left midway as the sanctioned money fell short. Later, the iron rods were found to have been stolen away from the bridge.
PNN