Getting essentials a tiresome walk for tribals of six hamlets in Andhra Pradesh

To supply rice and other essential commodities to tribal people, the government is running the DR depot at Foulkspeta, located 10 km away from Rampachodavaram.
Tribal people at the Daily Requirement depot of Girijan Cooperative Corporation  at Foulkspeta in Rampachodavaram Agency area. (Photo | EPS)
Tribal people at the Daily Requirement depot of Girijan Cooperative Corporation at Foulkspeta in Rampachodavaram Agency area. (Photo | EPS)
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RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Around 600 tribal families in Rampachodavaram Agency area are forced to walk 5 to 6 km to get essential commodities from the Daily Requirement (DR) depot of Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC) due to lack of proper private or public transportation facility from their hamlets. 

To supply rice and other essential commodities to tribal people, the government is running the DR depot at Foulkspeta, located 10 km away from Rampachodavaram.

Though it is not located in dense Dandakaranya, there is no proper transportation facility to Foulkspeta. Six tribal hamlets, including Dirisinipalli, Penikilapadu, Suddagummi, Devaratigudem and K Yerrampalem, come under the purview of the DR depot.

Walking all the way to Foulkspeta and returning home with the essentials have become a tough task for people of the six hamlets, said former MPTC member Madakam Bapanna Dora, adding that they feel that they are cut off from the mainstream.  

“The only other option for us is to take an auto to the DR depot at Foulkspeta, which is a costly affair. We have to pay not less than Rs 50 for a one side trip and we cannot afford it,” a tribal said.

“Sometimes, after going to the depot, we are told that the biometric device is not functioning due to technical glitch and we have to return empty handed,’’ Bapanna Dora told TNIE.

Village volunteers are yet to be recruited to deliver the essential commodities at the doorstep of beneficiaries in the area. The tribal people have to face hardship till a mechanism is in place for delivery of essentials at their doorstep.

Girijan Cooperative Corporation Divisional Manager M Jagannatha Reddy said they are aware of the difficulty being faced by tribals. “The door delivery of ration will be introduced from January 1. We will send a mobile van with volunteers for delivery of ration to tribal people at their doorstep,’’ he said.

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