Jamtikra: Even though the state government has a host of welfare measures in place for the poor people living in villages, most of them are yet to reach residents of Bhutatikra village that comes under Attabira block in Bargarh district.
This agricultural village of 300 people, only 7 kilometres from Attabira town, is yet to have all-weather road connectivity. Still living without many of the basic facilities, development has been a distant dream for them even after seven decades since Independence.
Agriculture is the backbone of the village. However, without an all-weather road, they struggle to reach nearby markets to sell their produces. The students of the village also struggle to reach their schools. Besides, it becomes nearly impossible for ambulances, fire tenders and other vehicles to reach the village.
On other hand, the village anganwadi centre operates at the club house. The students face hurdles owing to lack of infrastructure because of administrative negligence. Even though villagers have long been demanding for an all-weather structure for the centre, it is yet to see any basic facilities built. The students have to travel 1 kilometre to attend the Bugbuga school due to lack of a primary school in the village and for high school education, the village kids need to travel at least 3 kilometres to nearby Patrapalli village.
The village has one tube well and a solar boring well. However, drinking water scarcity is common. People often depend on a nearby ditch to fetch water for cooking. These apart, the housing and pension schemes of the government haven’t reached most of the villagers either.
What have reached though, is plenty of country liquor near the village, that is damaging the village economy apart from running families.
While the villagers have knocked at the door of the administration, sarpanch, BDO and local politicians to look into their demands, nothing has happened so far. They have warned to take to the streets unless their demands are met at the earliest.
