Harichandanpur: Even as rural development is a priority area for the government, Chhutung, a hilltop village in Sunapentha panchayat under this block in Keonjhar district, remains miles away from development with its tribal residents living in deprivation.
Most of the government-sponsored welfare schemes are out of bounds for the 70-odd families that inhabit the village.
Seventy years have passed since Independence, but there has been no change in their lives in the absence of basic facilities.
Road connectivity remains a pipedream for the residents. It too difficult for them to come down the hill and go up to the village every day in the absence of a road, some villagers lamented. Due to lack of a pucca road, the commuting problem compounds in the rainy season.
The livelihood of the villagers hinges on collection and sale of minor forest produce, cultivation of black gram, raggi and other crops.
“As we are illiterate, we have no idea of government schemes. We fear to go to officials. Though we had taken up our problems with the sarpanch several times in the past, none paid heed to our plight,” lamented villagers.
The village’s lone tube well is unable to cater to the water needs of 200 people. Locals said they have to wait in a queue for hours to get water, though it is unfit for consumption. Children face health hazards after drinking the contaminated water.
The government has been providing pucca houses to the poor and disadvantaged, but not even a single family in the village has been providing a housing unit.
Locals said living in the hilly village is fraught with dangers from wild animals.
Villagers Sebati Dehuri, Duryodhan Dehuri, Chitrasen Dehuri, Ranjan Dehuri, Natia Dehuri and Baruda Dehuri demanded that the district and block administration should take note of their problems.
PNN