CUTTACK: Caught between two districts, residents of Uttarkul, Babujanga, Manijanga and Mohammadpur gram panchayats (GPs) under Cuttack Sadar Assembly segment are a suffering lot.
Development of these GPs, which fall under Nischintakoili block in Cuttack district, has been badly hit as implementation of different Government welfare programmes is being carried out by the administration of Raghunathpur block in Jagatsinghpur district.
Unable to approach the administration of Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur districts for various purposes in time, people of these four GPs are facing difficulties in their daily lives.
Sanitation programmes, assistance to poor patients and plans to fight various communicable diseases have also been affected. This apart, several Primary, ME, UGME and High schools are also not able to avail grants under Sarva Sikhya Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamika Sikhya Abhiyan (RMSA) properly.
Moreover, not a single Anganwadi centre has been able to avail funds for construction of its own building. The elected panchayat samiti (PS) members said, “There is no result when we take up our problems and difficulties in meetings because the implementing authorities of different programmes belong to Raghunathpur.”
Sarpanch of Babujanga Milan Bhuyan said though people have been running from pillar to post demanding administration of Nischintakoili block be entrusted with implementation of all welfare schemes, the Government has turned a deaf ear to missives.
“I along with sarpanchs and PS members of Uttarkul, Manijanga and Mahammadpur GPs have already met both Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur Collectors, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Panchayat Raj Deapartment and even the RDC, Central in this regard and submitted representations with request to consider their plight and redress their grievances. But all our efforts have gone in vain,” Bhuyan said.
When contacted, both Nischintakoili BDO Bipra Charan Mohanty and his Raghunathpur counterpart Debi Prasad Tally expressed helplessness over the plight of people of the four GPs. Only the State Government can take a decision in this regard, they said.