VIZIANAGARAM : Days after a man was forced to carry his wife’s body in a makeshift stretcher (doli) for seven kilometres to Chittampadu village under Srungavarapukota (S Kota) mandal from Mettapalem Junction in Vizianagaram district due to the lack of a non-motorable road, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) served a notice on Visakhapatnam district Collector A Mallikarjuna to submit a detailed report on the incident within seven days.
The NCST took suo motu cognisance of a report published in The New Indian Express on the incident and decided to investigate/inquire into the matter under Article 338A. As the incident took place in Vizianagaram district, the notice was forwarded to the district officials.
Madala Gangamma (24) of Chittampadu village and her three-month-old son had to be shifted to a hospital on January 3 after they fell severely ill. Her husband Madala Gangulu carried them in a doli with the help of villagers for seven kilometres to S Kota Government Hospital.
Later, they were shifted to King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam for better treatment, where the baby died. After 10 days, Gangamma also breathed her last at a private hospital.
Gangulu had hired a private ambulance in Visakhapatnam to shift his wife’s body to Chittempadu. After reaching Boddavara Junction, the driver refused to go further due to the bad condition of the road. With no other option left, Gangulu shifted his wife’s body on a two-wheeler for three kilometres to Mettapalem Junction and from there in a doli to his native village.
After taking note of the incident reported in this newspaper, the district Panchayat Raj Department had prepared a proposal for the construction of a road to the hilltop village.
Speaking to TNIE, Panchayat Raj Superintending Engineer (SE) GSR Gupta said, “We have prepared a proposal for the construction of the road from Visakhapatnam-Araku Road to Gunapadu via Chittempadu in a stretch of 10.2 km with an estimated cost of Rs 10.4 crore. The proposal has been sent to the Centre, seeking permission under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN).”
On Wednesday, Parvathipuram Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) project officer (PO) C Vishnu Charan visited Chittempadu village and enquired about the locals’ issues.