Hatadihi: Nearly 80 years after India gained independence, residents of Kuada village in Kendujhar district’s Hatadihi block are still waiting for an all-weather road — a basic amenity that villagers say has disrupted daily life and even affected marriage prospects for young men and women.
Villagers said prospective brides and grooms and their families often visit the village but turn back after seeing the condition of the roads. Several marriage proposals have reportedly fallen through because of the lack of proper road connectivity.
Kuada, which comes under Samana revenue village and is located along the Baitarani River, has around 90 families and a population of more than 500. Most residents depend on agriculture. Although the village is about 15 km from the block headquarters, it has no motorable road. Three routes connect Kuada with nearby areas, but all are in poor condition.
The damaged canal embankment road from Adheiduar becomes slippery during rain, while the kutcha road from Sarida is often covered in knee-deep mud. The route from Gobindpur is riddled with waterlogged pits. During the monsoon, even motorcycles cannot reach the village, residents said. In medical emergencies, patients have to be carried to the nearest motorable road.
Children wade through mud to attend school, while residents walk about 2 km to collect ration supplies from the panchayat office. Residents said they have repeatedly approached government officials and elected representatives, but their demand for a proper road remains unfulfilled.
They also said Kua da has not been declared a separate revenue village despite years of demands. Anandapur Civil Society secretary Bhagaban Mallik described the continued lack of road connectivity as unfortunate.
Villagers, including Nirupama Sethi, Manika Barik, Sabitri Sahu, Dharitri Barik, Nirupama Sa, Kumudini Sethi, Kalpana Barik, Kokila Barik and Chandramani Barik, said governments, District Collectors, local officials and elected representatives had changed over the years, but their road problem remained unresolved.
The lack of a motorable road has also become a barrier to marriage prospects for their sons and daughters. “People who come to see our sons or daughters for marriage look at the road and return,” they said, expressing hope that the problem would eventually be addressed, particularly as the village is in the Chief Minister’s home district.
Samana panchayat sarpanch Jagabandhu Kandi said the issue had been raised with the Chief Minister, the district administration, the Anandapur Sub-Collector and at panchayat samiti meetings. More than 20 complaints have reportedly been submitted seeking construction of a road, but to no avail.
Panchayat Executive Officer Sanjay Kumar Nanda said he was aware that the village lacked a motorable road but claimed no villager had directly informed him about the issue. Hatadihi Block Development Officer Ranjan Kumar Parida said the administration was aware of the connectivity problem and would make arrangements for construction of a road.
Anandapur Sub-Collector Neel Madhab Suna said appropriate steps would be taken if Kuada village was facing a road connectivity problem.
