Banarpal: Over six hundred villagers of Laxmanpur village near Balaramprasad ash pond under Banarpal block in Angul district have problems galore.
“We have since long been deprived of basic facilities like education, communication, health and drinking water, let alone any benefits from the government schemes and programmes,” the dejected villagers alleged.
According to the villagers, drinking water problem is a perennial one. The village has six tube wells. Of them, two tube wells have been lying defunct for many years. They have an open well but its water is no longer fit for consumption because of the ash dust from the nearby ash pond falling into the well. The rural water supply and sanitation department has got a drinking water project built in their village and has been connected with pipes but is yet to be made functional.
“Our village main road is in a deplorable condition. A slight drizzle makes the road slushy full of craters, making it difficult for us to go on foot from one end to the other. So you can imagine the problems two wheelers and four wheelers are facing,” some of the villagers rued.
A peep into the village school is enough to make one understand the deplorable condition of the education facility available in the village.
The school has two female teachers to manage five classes. While the classrooms are in urgent need of repair, having no boundary wall is a serious concern. Since the lone tube well of the school has gone out of order, the students are experiencing a lot of problems when they need to wash their utensils and hands after having a meal.
Apart from students, the school is also giving space to Anganwadi kids as the centre does not have its own building. The kids are sitting on school verandah.
While talking to OP, headmistress Rama Devi said, “None of the classrooms is in good condition. Despite our requests, nothing has been done in this regard. Drinking water facility has since long been in the wish list of the children. Given the school has no electricity connection; we often face problems because of this.”
Expressing their anguish, the villagers said they have also been not getting health facilities. “Health workers are coming to our village once in a blue moon to carry out health check up,” they alleged.
When contacted, panchayat extension officer Rashmirekha Nayak said, “I am not aware of their problems. The villagers should instead come to the block office and lodge their complaints. Then only steps will be taken to solve their problems.”
PNN