BALASORE: Elections come and go but the plight of residents of Badatalapada village under Basta Assembly segment remains unchanged with no visible signs of development even after 72 years of Independence.
The villagers, belonging to Scheduled Caste and Other Backward Class categories, depend on boats to cross a tributary of Subarnarekha river. They then walk 3 km to reach Jamkunda Chowk to buy essential items like medicines, vegetables, etc. The deplorable condition of the 3 km stretch adds to their woes. The village, situated at a distance of just 100 metre from the Bay of Bengal, remains cut-off from the mainland during monsoon.
Chakradhar Sahu of the village said the village requires better road connectivity and a bridge over the tributary of Subarnarekha river. “It becomes extremely difficult for the residents to cross the river which swells during rainy season. The 3 km stretch of road which was constructed by the Rural Development department a few years ago has turned into a death trap after it narrowed down to less than 30-metre in width due to floods. No repair work has been carried out on the route for several years. Despite repeated requests to the district administration, no steps have been taken so far,” he added.
Sankar Mangaraj, another resident said owing to the narrow road, four-wheelers are unable to reach the village. “Patients are carried on cots and slings till Jamkunda Chowk to reach Baliapal hospital. During monsoon, the patients are brought to Jamkunda Chowk by boat,” he said, adding a woman who had consumed poison and a pregnant lady had died on the way to hospital.
The villagers informed that in 2017, a proposal of around `12 crore to construct a bridge over the tributary under Biju Setu Yojana and a permanent road to the village, was submitted to the chief executive engineer of the Rural Development department. However, despite repeated visits to the sub-division office at Baliapal, no steps were taken in this regard.
Even a delegation of the villagers had met Balasore MP Rabindra Jena over the demands but in vain. The villagers, tired of false promises have decided to boycott the polls this time.