After about 75 years of Independence, villagers in a village located in Jajpur district of Odisha state are yet to have access to a proper road. During an emergency situation, neither the ambulance nor the vehicle is able to enter the village easily. Although there were sanctioned funds for the road construction work, it has been delayed due to encroachment problems.
The story broke out in Patana village, which falls under the jurisdiction of Ratnagiri Panchayat in Bari block of Jajpur district. There are approximately 2,000 inhabitants living in the village, but no proper road is available for easy travel. According to the villagers, encroachments on both sides of the road have caused serious trouble for entering the vehicle.
It was further reported that in case of a medical emergency, the ambulance could not reach the village, and patients had to be shifted to the road by hand. The government has provided sanctioned funds through Chief Minister’s Rural Road Scheme within six months back.
On the basis of directions by the Odisha Revenue Department, the Jajpur Collector instructed the Bari Tehsildar to remove encroachments and make roads. The officials from the Revenue Department went to the village, marked the areas of encroachments, but residents claim that nothing more has happened since then.
The residents have also complained that the contractor is making a small road, disregarding the guidelines laid down by the government. This has made the villagers angry, as they are asking for eviction of the encroachments and building of a wide road.
When contacted, the Bari Tehsildar said that marking of the areas of encroachments has already been done and eviction work will start soon.
It now remains to be seen whether the long pending problem will ever be sorted out or not.
