BERHAMPUR: Residents of Lakhapadar under Parasali panchayat in Maoist-hit Kalyanshinghpur block got a pleasant surprise after Rayagada Collector Swadha Dev Singh landed in their village on Sunday to enquire about their well-being and take stock of development activities.
Accompanied by Rayagada SP Vivekanand Sharma and around 20 district officials, Swadha visited homes of Dongria Kondhs, a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) in the village located near Niyamgiri Hill. The two top district officials’ visit to the region during Martyrs’ Week came as a surprise but it was welcomed by most who thought it was a courageous step and a confidence-building one too when the district is in news over a cholera outbreak.
The Collector had long interactions with the tribal families on the verandah of their houses and enquired about the provision of basic amenities in the village. The villagers too felt at ease with the Collector’s gentle demeanour and freely expressed their problems. They informed Swadha about the health and drinking water problems faced by them.
The Collector drank a locally-made gruel offered by a tribal family. SP Vivekanand also won the hearts of the villagers through his interactions with kids. A senior police officer said there is no standard operating procedure (SOP) restricting officers from visiting Maoist-hit pockets when the ultras observe Martyrs’ Week. However, there exists a general guideline to avoid going to their strongholds.
However, an unfazed Swadha said there was nothing unusual about the visit. “Visiting areas in the district to interact with people and know their condition is my priority. I will continue to visit all corners of the district to have first-hand information about the issues faced by the people as it is part of my duty,” she said. Sources said though there have been no major Maoist offensives in the district in the last few years, top officials avoid visits to the remote areas where Left-Wing Extremists continue to have a presence.