Harichandanpur: This is the case of a tribal village worthy of getting included in Ripley’s Believe it or not episodes. Balidandasahi village in Tangiriapal panchayat under Harichandanpur block in Keonjhar district has no electricity. But some villagers get power bills, that too Rs 5,000 each!
Locals expressed shock and anger over the fact that the power distribution company has been sending them monthly bills, Rs 5,000 each, even though the village has not been electrified. Though they have taken up the issue with a junior engineer and Shalapada electrical SDO of the distribution company, the issue has not been sorted out.
Power is not the only problem for the hamlet, inhabited by 18 families of Santhal and Munda communities. It has remained backward in all sectors – communication, education and healthcare. The villagers lead cursed lives sans basic facilities.
The village has no proper road. After years of struggle, locals have managed to cut a passage through hilly terrains and connect with the outside world. In rainy season, life turns miserable as they are confined to their houses.
More distressing is the state of education in the remote village. As part of the efforts by the school and mass education department to strengthen primary education in rural areas, a primary school was sanctioned for the village four years ago. But, no building has been set up for the school.
Locals say 27 children are made to sit in a small kitchen and taught in a constricted atmosphere. The mid-day meal is prepared in an incomplete toilet. Education facilities have not improved beyond this point even though school and mass education minister Badrinarayan Patra represents this district, it is alleged.
The school was set up in December 2013 and two teachers were appointed. The problem to build a school building is jungle kissam land, it is learnt. Former sarpanch Dukhabandhu Murmu said, “The panchayat had held a gram sabha and approved a proposal to convert a patch of jungle land into non-forest land. The proposal was sent to the forest department two years ago, but it has not taken a decision yet.”
The village has no Anganwadi centre. The nearest Anganwadi is two km away from the village. Villagers like Gobinda Marandi, Surendra Marandi, Ghanashyam Marandi, Daitari Guiya, Nanuram Besra, Bhim Soren, Ramaji Munda and Dangi Hansda demanded the authorities to act immediately on school building and power supply. PNN