Malkangiri: Seventy-four years have passed since Independence but there are villages in Malkangiri district where development remains a distant dream.
Marshalguda village tucked away amid forests in Pusuguda panchayat under Kalimela block is a case in point. Inhabitants of this village comprising 20 tribal families have been struggling over the years sans basic amenities. For the villagers, the life has been something like being confined in a straitjacket.
The picture of neglect is quite visible from a narrow foot track, that meanders between outcrops and through dense forests upto this remote village. People carrying loads on heads and bicycles trying to negotiate with the narrow foot track between the crags is a routine scene here.
It was learnt that about 16 tribal organisations had staged protests in the past, seeking steps for the development of their areas, life, livelihood, and rights on water, forest and land, but most of them are still living in deprivation.
“Many of our basic problems have not been resolved till date, even though we have been drawing the attention of the state and central governments. We are suffering in the absence of basic facilities like road, drinking water, educational institutions,” the villagers lamented.
They alleged that the backwardness is visible everywhere in the village while welfare and social security schemes are out of their bounds.
In the monsoon, life is completely paralysed when they have to face miseries caused by two creeks that overflow out into the entire areas. Commuting goes for a toss while patients needing emergency healthcare are carried on cots on slippery and muddy tracks before crossing the two creeks on way to a remote hospital, they pointed out.
“We have to come out of the village to the panchayat office and Malkangiri-Motu road for routine work,” they added.
“We have neither a school nor an Anganwadi centre for our kids. About 30 children of our village trek through forests to an Anganwadi centre and a school in another village, about 3 km away. Kids have to get education anyway. It is also risky affair for kids to go to a distant school. The government has not yet thought of setting up a school in the village,” they rued.
The village doesn’t even have a tube well. Given such a situation, people are bound to consume contaminated water of creeks.
The BDO was not available for comment.
Block chairperson Mala Madhi said, “Earlier, Pusuguda was under Padia block. It was brought under the Kalimela block a few years ago. We will look into the problems of the village and take steps immediately.”
PNN