NABARANGPUR: The biggest highlight of the year for Nabarangpur district was the signing of MoUbetween State Government and the Ministry of Railways in November to develop Nabarangpur- Jeypore railway link. As per the MoU, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) would look into setting up of 40-km railway link connecting Nabarangpur district headquarters to the nearest station at Jeypore in neighbouring Koraput district. Another development that brought smiles to the faces of farmers was Government decision on Turi-Guntat Medium Irrigation project. The State Government gave a go ahead to the project and an area of 127 acres of land has already been demarcated for afforestation as per the project’s requirement.
The proposed project has been provided mandatory clearance by the Central Water Commission and on completion, it will irrigate around 23,000 acres of agricultural land. Apart from irrigating 23,000 acres of agricultural land in 35 villages of Kosagumuda and Nabarangpur blocks of the district, the project will provide drinking water to 10,000 people living in the command area of each barrage. Senior Congress leader of the district Habibulla Khan passed away in February. On the flip side, there was no new recruitment of doctors to streamline the ailing healthcare sector in the district. Heavy rain threw normal life out of gear in September.
Nabarangpur made headline this month after police raided a madrasa in Papadahandi following a report on visit of Al Qaeda facilitator Abdul Rehman to the institution, which is yet to be registered with the School and Mass Education Department. A tribal quack, Purushottam Ghasi of Kumjhar village in the district was arrested by local police on December 27 for singeing a newborn with hot iron nails to treat him for his abdominal pain. The incident took place at Butipadar village situated around five km from Nabarangpur. Rukmani Kisan, an anganwadi worker of the village gave birth to a boy about 30 days back. As the child’s stomach swelled and he was crying, Rukmani took her child to Purushottam for treatment. As part of treatment, the quack seared the infant’s chest and abdominal area with hot iron nails to cure him of the ailment.