ROURKELA: Amid demand for bifurcation of Sundargarh to ensure effective governance, people residing in rural areas of Panposh and Bonai sub-divisions are facing difficulties in availing services at the collectorate, located at the district headquarters town.
The two sub-divisions share their borders with the West Singhbhum and Simdega districts of Jharkhand and are located 150-210 km from Sundargarh town. To make matters worse, Sundargarh town, with a population of 45,000 as per the 2011 census, is connected to the rest of the world only by road. Residents of Koida, Gurundia and Lahunipada blocks in the sub-divisions are the worst sufferers as there is no direct bus connectivity to the district headquarters town from their areas.
Koida resident Anita Naik said the distance between Koida block’s endpoint to Sundargarh town is 210 km. Yet there is no direct bus service. She said for a villager, the only feasible option is to board a bus at Koida to reach Rourkela 110 km away by evening, stay at some lodge or a relative’s place for the night and take a bus for Sundargarh town 100 km away the next morning. Apart from the time, one has to pay Rs 210 bus fare for a one-way journey.
One has to get his/her official work done within a few hours at Sundargarh and if the detention is extended, then he/she may miss the last bus leaving the town at 6.30 pm. Even if one board the evening bus, he/she can reach Rourkela by 8.30 pm or 9 pm and no bus service is available from the city to Koida in the evening. Those who can afford a four-wheeler have to spend Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000 for a one-way journey from Koida to Sundargarh town.
Owing to the constraints, Rourkela Bar Association (RBA) general secretary Akshay Sahu justified the demand for according independent district status in Rourkela. The poor and disadvantaged tribal population of far-flung areas is forced to suffer with the collector as the district head and revenue appellate authority stationed at distant Sundargarh town.
Social activist and former sarpanch of Bisra Gopal Singh said he has seen tribals of bordering Paniasal, Garburu, Urmei, Luaram and Kulagajo villages in Nuagaon block finding it tough to get their land-related issues settled at Sundargarh town due to connectivity issues.