Kaliapani: A ration shop was opened at hilltop Nagada in Sukinda valley of Jajpur during the visit of principal secretary of the social security and empowerment of persons with disabilities department Niten Chandra Friday.
Chandra took stock of various developmental works undertaken in the remote village Friday. It was his second visit to the area in the last nine months after the non-descript tribal village grabbed headlines owing to the deaths of 19 malnourished children belonging to the Juanga tribal community.
According to reports, Chandra was accompanied by project director of DRDA Brajagopal Acharya, Sukinda tehsildar Nabakrushna Jena, additional chief district medical officer Kanhucharan Nayak, Sukinda BDO Debabrata Mohant and member of an NGO Art of Living during the visit.
The team left for Nagada from the guesthouse of the mines department at 9 am. After travelling two km on the newly laid road from Ashokjhari, Chandra found the work of the ongoing road stopped with an excavator lying on the road. The team members had no way out but to leave their four-wheeler on the way and were forced to go on motorcycles from there.
Chandra asked the Juanga tribals about the problems they confront at Upara Nagada, Tala Nagada and Majhi Nagada.
He got to know that the area being hilly and rocky, people have been facing water problem. The principal secretary also heard complaints about provision of food grains and solar-powered lights.
He found many solar-powered lights out of order. There, Chandra inaugurated a grocery shop and purchased some items. The grocery shop was run by an NGO Prabha with an aim of changing the lifestyle and food pattern of the tribals. The shop was entrusted to Guru Pradhan, a resident of Tala Nagada.
Chandra, who had visited Nagada August 4, 2016, reportedly saw marked development in the area. PNN
