Nabarangpur: Political parties promised better road communication facilities for the residents of 212 villages in Nabarangpur district in every election, but none of the promises were fulfilled, complained the villagers.
BJD is fighting the elections on the strength of ‘bikas’ (development) undertaken by the Naveen Patnaik government in the state. On the other hand, BJP and Congress raise the issues of road communication problems, especially in the remote areas.
There are 360 villages in Nabarangpur district where patients never avail themselves of ambulance facilities due to the bad road condition. In 212 villages, villagers are resigned to live with foot tracks in utter bad condition.
Jharigaon constituency in the district has maximum number of such deprived villages. They have also been facing severe drinking water problem. With the remote villages devoid of tube wells, the villagers have no option but to fall back on water collected from nearby creeks.
They fall sick after consuming contaminated water, but the villagers say they don’t have any other option. The voters have been electing Ramesh Chandra Majhi from this constituency for some time. Dandamunda in Chandahandi block is his native village and he is the BJD’s Lok Sabha candidate. BJD has fielded Ramesh’s brother Prakash Chandra Majhi from the Jharigaon constituency.
Balabhadra Majhi, who has been fielded as the Nabarangpur Lok Sabha candidate by BJP, hails from Phatki village in Chandahandi block. Pradeep Majhi is being pitted against Balabhadra Majhi and Ramesh Chandra Majhi by Congress.
In 2009, Pradeep was elected as Nabarangpur MP. The road problem existed in Jharigaon constituency that time too but no steps have been taken to change the condition. BJP and Congress are raising this issue in their election campaigns here. They are asking how this scheduled tribe-populated constituency was neglected for such a long time.
About 102 villages are still depending on narrow foot tracks for communication. Sixty-four such villages are in Jharigaon block and 38 in Chandahandi block.
According to the government report, the number of villages that still have such deplorable tracks inclue one in Dabugaon block, eight in Koshagumuda block, six in Nabarangpur Sadar block, two in Nandahandi block, 10 in Papadahandi block, 47 in Raighar block, 13 in Tentulikhunti block and 24 villages in Umarkote block.
It is difficult to ride a bike on these paths, leaving no room for an ambulance.
In 2017, the then Collector Rashmita Panda put up a file with the government mentioning the names of 13 village in need of roads.
In response to her letter, the government sanctioned Rs 6,71,84,905 for seven village roads in Jharigaon block. Two years have passed since then, but the administration could not put up a report on how much money should be spent on which road.
Eventually, the money was awarded to the Rural Construction Division, Umarkote.
The worst-affected are the residents in Bhurushi Dangari and Mundaguda villages under Telanadi panchayat, Sagajoba and Jogipadar under Chakalapadar panchayat, Deepubhatta under Kuturi Chhapar panchayat, and Karadangari and Barapani in Chachha panchayat.
Another issue that has been the topic for discussion among the people here is the death of three members of a family in Mainapadar village under Jharigaon block by consuming mango seeds. The villagers said the lack of road facilities is the reason for the deaths of these unfortunate people.
Since it was difficult for an ambulance to reach the village, the family members were taken in tractors to the nearby Jharigaon community health centre. Three villagers died because they arrived at the centre late.
“If we had proper road facilities, an ambulance could have reached our village and the family would not have lost their members,” some villagers pointed out.
In related incidents, nine expectant mothers of Dipubhata, Baghabeda, Barapani, Dakorikote, Gaibandha and Kurlubhatta have so far suffered undue labour pain due to lack of proper roads. Their family members took them to the Jharigaon community health centre either in slings, cots, on cycles or on bikes.
This communication problem is likely to be a major issue during the campaigning. Taking past experience into account, it is too early to say if the problem will be addressed or just left for the next election.
PNN