Malkangiri: Fed up with the apathy of the administration, residents of Kutanipada village under Khairput block in Malkangiri district repaired a road, connecting to their village with their own resources.
After the district administration turned a blind eye to repair a non-motorable road, the residents took upon their shoulders the task of repairing the eight-km long road from Kutinipada to Sanadural.
The move by the villagers comes at a time when patients and pregnant women are carried to hospitals using bamboo slings and cots in the absence of ambulance services due to lack of proper roads to villages.
According to sources, tribal-dominated Kutinipada village is home to 40 families who mostly live on agriculture and forest produce. However, due to lack of a proper motorable road, the village remained alienated from the block.
Locals had to go through myriad problems to reach the panchayat and block for their daily needs. They had to trek extra kilometers due to bad condition of the road.
Earlier, the villagers had apprised the district administration for a road, but in vain. With no options left, the locals decided to build the road by themselves. They collected money and worked on the road.
Locals alleged that patients fail to reach the hospital in time due to bad condition of the road. Moreover, ambulance services were also unable to reach the village and people have to carry the ill on cots.
The villagers said that it was a lesson for the administration. When contacted, officials said the local BDOs have been directed to initiate the road repairing and construction works under various schemes immediately.
PNN