Tribal children of hilltop village Neredubandha being taken to the elementary school at Z Jogampeta on horseback.(Photo | Express)
VISAKHAPATNAM: Even 75 years after Independence, tribal children of hilltop village Neredubandha in reserve forest area of G Madugula mandal are forced to go to the Mandal Parishad elementary school at Z Jogampeta in Cheemalapadu panchayat of Ravikamatam mandal on a horseback due to lack of motorable road. Z Jogampeta is 5 km away from Neredubandha, which is located on the border of Alluri Sitarama Raju and Anakapalle districts.
The Primitive Tribal Groups of Neredubandha have laid a 4 km pathway from their village by clearing bushes and levelling ground with Shramdan recently.
Dippala Appa Rao, a tribal, said, “Our children are facing severe hardship to go to school on horseback traversing rough terrain. Whenever there is inclement weather or horses are taken to get ration, children are unable to go to school. Four to five people need to accompany the children to the school and bring them back home every day. If we go for work, the children cannot go to school. If a school is set up in Neredubandha, our problems will be solved.”
The village is located in schedule area of Integrated Tribal Development Agency, Paderu. The tribals get ration and other essentials from Cheemalapadu as Gadutur is 40 km away from Neredubandha. Girijana Sangham Fifth Schedule Sadhana Samithi district honorary president K Govinda Rao demanded that the authorities set up a school in Neredubandha, which has a student strength of 20. There are schools in some tribal hamlets for even 10 students, he said.
Killo Pottidana, another tribal, said there is no Anganwadi centre in the hilltop village. Generally, political leaders visit the hilltop villages in Chodavaram Assembly constituency to seek votes during elections. The promise of development of road connectivity to tribal hamlets and other basic infrastructure has remained unfulfilled, he rued.
