Udayagiri: Hundreds of families of six villages under a newly formed Sundardhang panchayat of Nuagarh block in Gajapati district have been deprived of rice, kerosene and pension for over the last five months, reports said.
The matter brings to the fore the clear negligence of the administration, locals said. According to sources, six villages Atilima, Burukapeta, Chanchada Sahi, Paikapada, Dekapali and Ramgiri fall under the newly formed Sundardhang panchayat.
The villagers have been running from pillar to post to attract the notice of the authorities but to no avail. Elderly persons and the poor have been having a tough time due to lack of ration like rice, kerosene and elderly pension. This has been the condition for over five months now, locals alleged.
The locals claimed that many villagers have to trek 18-20 km to reach the panchayat office to avail their ration and for other works. They have to cross two rivers and two hills to reach the panchayat office.
This has deprived them of their ration under the NFSA Act. The locals blamed corrupt peoples’ representatives and politicians behind the fraud. They accused the administration of being a slave to such fraudsters and cutting the six villages from the rest of the world.
The irate locals had earlier detained some government officials during their visit to the panchayat. However, they were later rescued by the police. Since then, they have been facing the plight, the locals said.
They called for the district administration to look into the matter and take steps before the matter worsens. They threatened to call out a mass demonstration if no steps were taken in this regard. PNN
