Raisuan: Salarapentha village under Mahadeijoda panchayat in Keonjhar district can be a case study on how industrialisation need not necessarily contribute to development of surrounding areas. On the other hand, it can adversely affect the lives of people.
According to reports, a few years ago, people of the village, with a population of about 2,000, had dreamt of a better life when some industrialists and mine owners set up factories promising jobs for locals and development. Seven iron-crushing plants, three furnaces, a lime stone mine and a stone-crushing unit were set up in the area.
“Mine owners and industrialists sold a lot of development dreams and tricked us into selling our acres of land to them at a throwaway price,” recalled villagers.
“They promised to take up development of roads and create job opportunities for the locals, apart from working for their socio-economic development, but nothing has been done” locals rued.
“These industries, after running successfully for several years and raking in crores of rupees in profit, were shut down. What we got in return is a polluted environment. Forty to 50 villagers, affected by lungs-related diseases, have died while several others are battling for life,” locals complained bitterly.
Locals said, 70 years have passed since Independence, but the government has not built a road nor set up a tube well for safe drinking water. “People have to depend on water from a stream. Earlier, we used to eke out a living from agriculture. After losing our land to these industries, we have little land for cultivation and become helpless. We are living in a miserable condition,” lamented some villagers.
Some others said that things have come to such a pass that they are unable to arrange a square meal a day to their families. With the mining sector caught in a slump, people are jobless while some go to the nearby forests and collect firewood. They sell the firewood in markets at Mahadeijoda, Raisuan, Dhatika and other areas.
Villagers said when elections come, MLAs, ministers and petty politicians throng the village with loads of promises only to forget them later.
Development has taken a backseat due to alleged apathy of the administration. The miserable condition of the village can be gauged from the fact that it does not have basic facilities like roads and safe drinking water.
Social activist Sanjay Sahu deplored the plight of the villagers even 70 years after Independence. “The government should pay heed to the development of this backward village on a priority basis,” said another noted social activist Rabi Majhi. PNN
