Keonjhar: The Central and state governments spend crores of rupees on several welfare, development, poverty eradication programmes for tribals and other backward communities. But, such benefits fail to reach tribal families of Masanipadasahi at Nauagan panchayat in Keonjhar.
Beset with multiple problems, the tribals lead a miserable life in the village, 15 km from the district headquarters town. The major problem is connectivity. As the village is surrounded by a river and a creek, the problems of 80 tribal families compound during rainy season when they remain confined to their houses.
They said they are deprived of various welfare benefits and poverty-alleviation programmes of the government. “In rainy season, Aradei river in the east and a creek in the west are in spate. We have to face a lot of commuting problems. We risk our lives while crossing the river and the creek to go out of the village. There is a need for a road and a bridge across the river,” locals said. They pointed out that wading though river water and the creek has become routine for them.
Elderly people and children fail to commute out of the village.
Though they have taken up the issue with the administration and people’s representatives, nobody has ever paid heed to them, they rued.
They added that in such a situation they have left everything to their destiny.
There is no road to the panchayat office. In rainy season, people take a detour and walk amid farmland to reach the panchayat office, district headquarters, Jhumpura and Palashpanga markets.
“It is difficult to carry rice, kerosene and wheat from a long distance to our households,” the villagers, all in BPL category, said.
Due to poor communication, their kids trek through farmland and forested routes or cross the river and the creek to reach Bistapal, Birakishorepur, Palashpanga, Padmapur, Jhumpura, Raisuan and Keonjhar town.
In emergency, immediate access to healthcare is difficult here, they said. Patients are either carried with slings or cots across the river and the creek where ambulance awaits to shift them to the hospitals.
Biranchi Munda, Dadu Munda, Satari Munda and Japan Munda of the village said they had apprised the local MLA, the sarpanch, the BDO and even the collector of their ordeal, but to no avail. PNN