Phulbani: Gumi, a small village of Pirikudi panchayat under Khajuripada block in Kandhamal district, is just three kilometres from Phulbani town. Yet, the village has been devoid of an all-weather pucca road connection.
Despite being nearest to Phulbani town, Gumi is coming under Pirikudi panchayat. The village has 18 families with a population of approximately 150.
The main source of income of the villagers here is cultivation. Some earn their livelihood by working as labourers and farmhands.
Though the villagers are living a peaceful life they feel sad that the village is not connected with an all-weather tar road. “To reach Pirikudi panchayat office, we have an eight kilometres long extremely narrow track that goes up to the office via Phulbani FCI square. There is also a route through hilly terrains to the panchayat office from our village and it is just three kilometres. Elderly persons of our village are having difficulties to reach the panchayat office for ration articles and old age pensions,” observed Dhruba Kanhar, a villager. “The hilly route is always risky and the other option kills our whole day,” the villager added.
Echoing his complain, another villager Upendra Kanhar said, “The problem becomes acute in rainy season. In case someone needs medical attention; we carry them in slings to a nearby village and from there take them to hospital in ambulance.”
The villagers said they used to have a school there. But this has long been closed. “The situation has gone so worse that people of other villages are reluctant to marry their daughters in this village. We have taken our problems up with starting from the sarpanch to the block administration. They have been assuring us but assurances never turned into reality,” they alleged.
They further alleged that the political leaders are also not doing anything for their village. “They come to our village only when any election is round the corner, promising us even moon. But after election, they visit us once in a blue moon,” they rued.
When contacted, block development officer Rabindranath Kanhar said he has just joined the block so he is not aware of the problem the Gumi villagers are undergoing. “I will investigate into it to know the reason why the village is still deprived of a tar road and then only appropriate steps can be taken,” he added.
PNN