Bantala: Raiguda village near Saruali village in Angul district has become a tourist site as large numbers of sightseers are found there regularly. Photographs of the village are going viral on social media, a report said.
The residents of this village were inhabitants of the old Raiguda village inside Satkosia sanctuary and were shifted by the forest department to help increase the tiger population inside the sanctuary. 193 people including children have been rehabilitated in Raiguda village after displacement from the old Satkosia village.
Visitors after coming to the new Raiguda village are taking selfies on mobile phones and uploading them on Facebook and WhatsApp.
The picturesque scenes inside the village and the houses painted in traditional tribal arts have turned out to be an attraction for sightseers. A report said that around 1000 to 1500 tourists are regularly coming to the village to get a glimpse of the place and an insight into the lives of the villagers.
The youths of the village are equally ecstatic about the tourists and are helping in maintaining law and order in the village by putting up a gate near the village.
They are noting down the registration number of the vehicles arriving there and helping tourists to park vehicles safely. They are also keeping watch on the children accompanying the tourists and helping them so that they do not face any problem while going round the village.
The visitors after getting down from their vehicles have to walk inside the village while police personnel of Bantala police station keep watch. Around 20 forest personnel under the direct supervision of DFO SMDT Raheman are regularly staying in the area and keeping watch.
The visitors are meeting displaced villagers and talking to them about their problems. Various state and Central officials are also visiting the village and discussing with villagers means and ways of generating employment. The visitors are also visiting the community hall where the village’s children study. PNN