Baliguda: The people of Sudra gram panchayat in the Baliguda block of Kandhamal district had high hopes of development after their villages were adopted by Phulbani MP Pratyusha Rajeswari Singh under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY). However, there hardly seems to be any change in the panchayat comprising 18 wards, with a population of around 14,000. The village lacks all basic facilities. The people of the panchayat have decided to give a fitting reply to the politicians in the coming polls. They have decided not to allow any politician to enter their panchayat and to boycott the polls.
Villages in the panchayat like Kutami, Gudiguda, Laberamba, Kataki, Kajuklapi, Sinapada, Sikati, Gadangi, Gaindi, Ambabadi, Dakadama and Sinjami have no roads and electricity.
The villagers have to walk 17 km to reach the nearest hospital. Locals said that due to the absence of a road they are forced to walk through hilly terrain to reach Sudra to get transport to Baliguda. They said politicians visit them only during elections and vanish after that.
The shortage of drinking water is another major problem in the village. Residents here depend on a single well for their water demands. The other source of water is a half-dry canal, a kilometre away from the village.
The village has been sanctioned a Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project and pipelines have been laid but water shortage still continues.
Expressing anguish over the callous attitude of elected leaders and government officials, a local said that despite repeated appeals, nothing has been done to resolve their problems and thus they have decided not to allow any politician into their village.
After the village was adopted by the MP the residents had hoped their problems would end. But the situation remains the same, the villagers said, adding that even though plans have been made to implement various schemes in the panchayat, the officials express helplessness saying that no money has been released from MPLAD funds.
The people of the panchayat have decided to give a fitting reply to the politicians in the coming polls. They have decided not to allow any politician to enter their panchayat and to boycott the polls.
PNN