Kaptipada: The Odisha government spends substantial sums for the development of tribal villages. But even then some tribal pockets remain under-developed. Examples of such neglect are the tribal-dominated Beladiha and Jamusuli villages which don’t have the status of ‘revenue villages’.
A revenue village is one which has borders and is registered with the State Government. However, since the Beladiha and Jamusuli villages do not have that tag they miss out on development funds. Hence the residents of these two villages in Mayurbhanj district lack all the basic facilities required for human life. The two villages are also cut off from the rest of the world as the terrain is inaccessible.
People of Beladiha and Jamusuli under Bishaola block have long been demanding revenue status to their villages, but till date nothing has materialised. Hence there is no drinking water facility, electricity and road connectivity. There are no pucca houses and the old are deprived of pension.
“We have been demanding revenue status for the villages, but the government has not done anything,” said the likes of Bhaskar Chandra Mahakur, Purushottam Mahakur, Kartik Barik and Bharat Bhusan, residents of the area.
It should be mentioned here that the Baripada Settlement Officer (BSO) had issued a letter to Deputy Collector of the Revenue Department May 12, 2012 requesting that revenue status be granted to the Beladiha and Jamusuli villages. A copy of the letter was forwarded to the Kaptipada Tehsildar, seeking a report after a survey and preparation of maps of the two villages. The Tehsildar, Amin and Revenue Inspector had visited the two villages, but since then nothing has happened, according to former Sarpanch Dagal Singh and former Block Chairman Bhagirathi Dehuri.
The Directorate of the Additional Collector has sent a report on the two villages to Land Record and Survey Department in Cuttack. A letter dated January 19, 2015 was forwarded to the Kaptipada Tehsildar by the Settlement Officer to produce the boundary change proceedings (BCP) record of the two villages. However, the Tehsildar is yet to file it. Locals claimed it to be an act of ‘sheer negligence’ by the Tehsildar and said that the two villages have missed out on government aid due to this. They warned if steps are not taken to grant revenue status to Beladiha and Jamusuli villages, they will take the road of agitation.
PNN
