VISAKHAPATNAM: Chalisingam, a remote hilltop village in Cheemalapadu Panchayat of Ravikamatham mandal, Anakapalle district, continues to struggle with connectivity issues despite the allocation of Rs 2.66 crore by the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department on October 30, 2023.
The road construction project is yet to take off due to the lack of forest clearance, leaving the 405 ST families in the village disconnected from basic facilities.
In a bid to highlight their plight, villagers organised a protest by travelling on horseback to demand forest approvals. The tribals emphasised that their village has remained inaccessible even 77 years after independence.
“Several lives have been lost during emergencies due to the lack of road access. We request the government grant the necessary permissions to begin road construction,” they stated.
Anakapalle Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) M Samuel, along with other officials, undertook a 6-km trek on Saturday through steep terrain to inspect the situation. “The DFO expressed surprise at the sight of villagers using horses for transportation, which highlighted the severity of their connectivity problems. The villagers remain hopeful that the forest clearance will be granted soon, enabling the long-awaited road project to commence,” said tribal leader K Govind.Chodavaram Range Officer PV Varma, CPM District Committee member K Govind Rao,
Cheemalapadu Panchayat Sarpanch Vanjari Gangaraju, and Girijan Sangham leader Cheepuru Shankarrao were present.