RENGALI : Development is a far cry in many villages of Sambalpur district. Even as the Government has been introducing a number of schemes and projects, these fail to reach the remote pockets of the district where people continue to struggle for basic amenities. A case in point is Karlabudia village in Jangla gram panchayat of Rengali block, which houses a number of industries. The tribal village is home to 40 households but has no road to connect it with the gram panchayat headquarters. Villagers have to wade through a nullah to reach the gram panchayat headquarters.
Although construction of a bridge was initiated by the local administration a decade back, only four pillars were constructed before the project was left midway. So far, no effort has been made to start the construction again. Similarly, the villagers have to walk through Dangajoar nullah to reach block headquarters via Bhursipali village as the connecting bridge was washed away during monsoon a decade back. In the absence of road connectivity, villagers face problems when it comes to availing health services or reaching out to doctors.
On the education front, there is no school in the village or even an anganwadi centre. Children trek 2 km every day through forest road to the anganwadi centre in the neighbouring villages Tepapada and Chandamal.Despite lack of development, villagers have been exercising their franchise hoping that fruits of development will reach their village someday. Contacted, Rengali Block Development Officer Benedict Lakra assured to expedite completion of the partially-constructed bridges to ensure connectivity and initiate steps to open a mini anganwadi centre in the village.