Joda: Inhabitants of Unchabali village under Joda block in Keonjhar district have over 1,000 acres of farmland, but it is not irrigated and farming is dependent on rains.
Though geographically Unchabali has several plus points — a plant to the east of the village, several mines to the west and a stream to its south – it has been deprived of basic facilities for decades. The tribal villagers have been reminding the administration of their plight, but no step has been taken in this regard, a report said.
Most of the villagers work in farms and mines to eke out their livelihood with difficulty. Ironically, many villagers, both semi-skilled and unskilled, are deprived of mining work due to mechanisation.
Now, mining has become a bane of the village. Mining firms have been dumping their waste in the stream, gradually choking its flow, said Bhimsen Barik, a local.
“Many villagers have become jobless while the mining firms are not carrying out peripheral development activities,” lamented Satyabrata Pradhan. However, it is learnt that scores of villagers used to eke out their living from mining work in 2007/08, but after a mining scam came to the fore, all mines have remained closed.
Though some mines reopened after some time, the villagers were not engaged in mines, Consequently, the villages have remained backward in the absence of basic facilities, said Mahendra Majhi, a tribal youth.
The road connected to the village is in bad shape and villagers find it difficult to commute on it even after a shower. Teachers’ shortage has adversely affected education in the upper primary school.
As no healthcare facilities are available, the villagers take the pains of visiting either distant Joda or the district headquarters.
In many cases, tribals resort to sorcery or traditional healing systems to cure the ailing people. Some end up dying. Shortage of safe drinking water is a perennial problem, said Shantilata Rout.
Villagers have complained of ineffective implementation of old-age pension, food security programme, IAY and other rural housing schemes, road connectivity and rural electrification.
VLW of Palasa panchayat Purusottam Sahu said food security scheme would be made applicable to those who have applied under NFSA in a phased manner while the government will make arrangements for drinking water for the people from April to June.
PNN
