BERHAMPUR: Lack of basic amenities and Government apathy seem to have become a norm in villages across the State and particularly in Ganjam district which has been bearing the brunt of natural calamity at regular intervals. However, Durubandh, a small village under Khambarigaon panchayat in Digapahandi block, is an exception.
The village, inhabited by around 33 families, does not have a single thatched house and its residents enjoy all sorts of amenities. The villagers, for a change, are grateful to the State Government, particularly Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, for providing them with basic amenities. The village has fulfilled the dream of former chief minister Biju Patnaik, who had envisaged converting all thatched houses in the State into concrete ones.
Till 1960, the area near the village was surrounded by dense forest and there were no roads. In 1968, the villagers were displaced for construction of Ghodahada dam. They were resettled around one km away from the dam. The villagers led a miserable life owing to lack of amenities. However, their fate took a turn around a decade ago when concrete houses under Indira Awas Yojana and Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana were approved for them. The change was not limited to concrete houses. The villagers were also given access to drinking water, concrete roads, drains, power supply and LED street lights.
All children in the village are enrolled in a school which has Tuna Nayak as the teacher. Tuna has been motivating the villagers to let their kids study and avail of all benefits meant for them.