Sambalpur: Villagers of Khasua, a tribal village under Charmal GP from Redhakhol block in the district, met the collector Wednesday to urge him to extend various government-sponsored programmes to the village.
Farmer Tirthbasi Pradhan led the 15-member team with their handwritten petition. He told Orissa POST that the villagers were still deprived of government welfare programmes including old age pension.
The Right to Food under National Food Security Act is non functional here as no commodity from the public distribution system is available to them. There was a primary school in the village but it is closed from July this year. Besides, unemployment is a major problem for them as only 38 persons have got job cards out of 122 eligible persons, he said.
Former collector Balwant Singh had visited the village in March, 2016. He had promised them to address all their problems by adopting it as a nodal village. The villagers were hopeful for early redressal of their grievances, but to no avail.
A detailed report was prepared after taking inputs from all concerned departments. Singh had assigned the executive engineer of rural development to prepare estimates for extending IAP roads, bridges and culverts. DFO was told to fast-track construction of roads in forest areas. The executive engineers of RWSS were told to go for water testing and deepening of tube wells.
The tehsildar was directed to issue household pattas; CSO to ensure for food security; BDO to ensure payment of old age pension and wages to labourers; CDPO for opening of Anganwadi centre; DEO and sarpanch for regularising school attendance and PEO for excavation of ponds.
All these officers were given targets to submit their performance reports. However, Singh was transferred soon after his visit and preparation of reports.
Samarth Verma, the present collector, took interest in the development of the backward village when he was made aware of the report prepared by his predecessor. However, villagers of Khasua met Verma Wednesday to impress upon him the urgency of resolving their grievances.
“I have sent a proposal to the state government to reopen the school,” texted Verma in response to a query from this reporter.
Prasanna Kumar Das, sub-collector of Redhakhol said the petition from Khasua villagers came to him Tuesday and he is examining what could be done in this regard. PNN
