Dasamantpur: Nearly 350 Paraja tribals of Bendala village under Duarashuni panchayat of this block in Koraput district have no access to basic amenities, a report said.
All development programmes launched by the state government have no meaning for them, the villagers said.
About 55 tribal families had been displaced by Muran dam project in 1980. They were relocated to some villages of Nabarangpur district where they were given Rs40,000 each as compensation. However, the villagers couldn’t select a place to set up their habitation and chose to live in Bendala village instead.
“We are yet to get the real taste of freedom even as so many years have passed,” a villager said. They have no access to several schemes of the government except Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), he added.
According to reports, the village doesn’t have a primary school even as there are 60 kids in the village under the age group of 6 to 14. Locals raised questions about the attitude of the education department officials as often schools are set up with student strength of just 10.
Regarding health care facilities in the village, residents alleged none of the health officials ever visited the habitation in the past. They apply traditional healing methods like using herbs in case of severe illnesses. People often succumb to diseases as they fail to reach the hospital, locals said.
For instance, Gurubari, pregnant wife of Madhu Muduli, recently died on the way when she was being shifted to a local community health centre after she experienced labour pain. Several villagers including Chandra Muduli, Andhar Muduli, Keshav, Chtta and Damu rued over the step-motherly attitude of the administration towards the village.
They said Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana has become a joke for this hamlet while people have to cross river Muran to get PDS rice and old age allowances. The villagers do not want to take provisions by risking their lives in a swollen river.
People’s representatives appear in the village during election since they have to pass through Bendala to reach villages like Mundiguda, Kharaguda, Naranga and Chandaipadar, villagers said.
They warned to boycott elections in coming days unless their problems are resolved.
When contacted, BDO Sukanta Majhi promised to visit the village and take stock of the situation. PNN
