OTV Impact: Admin On Toes After Prajameli In Cut-off Area Of Malkangiri

Malkangiri: Just days after thousands of tribals came out to fight for development in the cut-off Khairaput Tehsil of Malkangiri district by defying Maoist threat, the administration has pulled up its socks to help the people.

Reportedly a team led by Korakonda BDO, Dasarathi Sarabu visited Muduliguda village to take the firsthand account of the locals where a huge public gathering was held recently.

It took nearly two hours for the team to cross a river before trekking through the rugged terrain leading to the cut-off tribal area. After reaching the village, the team held discussions with the locals on several issues plaguing the locality.

Following the meeting, the BDO said that the administration has already initiated efforts to resolve the developmental issues of the region.

“It took us few hours to reach the area after crossing the river with a boat. We assessed the situation in Muduliguda and found that developmental activities like road communication and issuance of PDS items is a big concern for the natives because the nearby panchayat is quite distant from the area. For the time being, we have decided to set up a PDS godown in the area as a temporary measure for the welfare of the locals,” said the BDO.

The BDO further added that steps will be taken for establishment of a gram panchayat office in the region after conducting a public meeting (Gram Sabha).

On June 28, thousands of tribals from as many as 25 villages in Khairaput Tehsil gathered at Muduliguda village and held a maha praja meli (large public meeting) to discuss about several developmental issues. The incident came to light after it was telecast on OTV.

Despite Maoist threat, the tribals have come forward claiming that they are deprived of benefits of various government schemes. While development in their area seemed a far-fetched dream due to several issues, one of the reasons of under development, they mentioned is that their gram panchayat (GP) office is situated around 60 kilometres away from the village and the block is even 20 kilometres further.