Nayagarh: While the malnutrition death of several children in Nagada village of Jajpur district is yet to erase from the minds of the people, the plight of the residents of Gochha village under Kajalipali panchayat of Odagaon block in Nayagarh district seems heading in the same direction.
Many people of the village are reportedly suffering from malnutrition and are facing slow death. Irony, the administration is unaware of the plight of the residents and no medical team is yet visit the village.
Gochha houses a few tribal families. Just few kilometres away from the block office, the village is a picture of utter neglect and deprivation. With no road connectivity, the village is deprived of all basic facilities including transportation, mobile network, drinking water and an educational institution.
The plight of the villagers would have remained in the dark, but for the death of a tusker, Tuesday. Mediapersons on their way to the spot were taken aback when they spotted two elderly women consuming water-rice with salt and lemon sitting on a rough stretch of land.
When questioned, the women said they did not get any government ration and most of the days they have to survive on one meal. What was shocking to see is that the women did not even throw away the polythene bags they had brought food in. Instead they washed it and carried it back with them.
“We don’t have tiffin boxes. So, we use the polythene bags to bring rice. We will wash it and use it again because we don’t even have the money to buy new bags every day,” said one of the woman. They said that they come to mangoes from the area as their only source of income is by making mango pickles and selling those. “Forest produce is our only source of earning,” the women said.
This clearly shows the plight the tribals are going through. They fail to even get one square meal a day even 72 years after Independence.
When contacted, Odagaon BDO Swatilekha Das agreed that the village has been neglected but pointed out there were no reports of malnutrition. “I will send a team to inspect the condition and take necessary steps,” she added.
PNN