MALKANGIRI: A little more than 12 years after the then Malkangiri collector Vineel Krishna was kidnapped by Maoists from Swabhiman Anchal’s Badapada, a team of top government officials stayed overnight in the erstwhile cut-off area, not far from where the abduction had taken place.
The team comprising Development Commissioner Anu Garg, 5T secretary VK Pandian and Krishna, who is now the Sports and Youth Services secretary spent Tuesday night at Badapada village in Chitrakonda block, which was once a hotbed of Maoist activities.
A few years back, this was unthinkable. But the initiatives taken by government for development of the region led to the transformational shift. The officials stayed at a government facility which was created at Badapada during the Covid-19 pandemic to treat patients.
Krishna was kidnapped by Maoists near Jantapai on February 16, 2011 when he was proceeding to meet local villagers. Then, there was no communication link including the Gurupriya bridge which has now become a lifeline for the people of the region.
“During my time, there was no electricity, road and other facilities in the area. Sustained development activities and constant focus of the government on Swabhiman Anchal have made the region free from Maoist menace,” Krishna said, adding, “Nobody could have thought of spending a night in the area during those times.”
Malkangiri Collector Vishal Singh said development activities and improved infrastructure have changed the face of the area. He and SP Nitesh Wadhwani accompanied the senior officers. On Wednesday, 5T secretary Pandian visited Gurupriya bridge and reviewed the ongoing cable laying work. The cable will connect the sub-station at Badapada with the 33 kv line. He directed OPTCL officers to expedite work and complete the project at the earliest.
Pandian also reviewed the construction work of the airstrip, terminal building and guesthouse at Kotelguda. He directed the officials to complete the works within the deadline and make the airstrip functional by January 2024. He visited different shrines in the region including Malikeswar temple at Malkangiri.
The 5T secretary appreciated the efforts of the district administration in management of hospitals which resulted in Malkangiri achieving the Kayakalp award consecutively for the second time in 2021-22. He said the district hospital will be taken up under Mo Hospital scheme. The team of officials was on a two-day visit to the tribal-dominated Malkangiri district.