As Naxals are down but not out, police in Palamu are doing public welfare works to win the hearts and minds of the locals.
DGP DK Pandey on Thursday made available electric bulbs at Chetma village which will be lit with the help of generator and also inaugurated a police outpost.
The DGP also spent night and met scores of villagers here. Narrating his experience the DGP said, “A poor man came to us and sought just Rs 20,000 for his daughter’s marriage. He was given on the spot Rs 10,000 in cash with assurance that on his daughter’s marriage probably on May 10, I and Chhaterpur MLA Radha Krishan Kishore would come here again during the kanyadaan ceremony.”
Quoting locals who comprise primitive tribal groups largely, the DGP said, “The villagers hailed us as a harbinger of hope. Until recently they were living in the shadow of extremism. Today was the day when the government reached to them.”
Using JCB machine police have made a road motorable here. To give a fillip to rural economy here the DGP also ordered for blankets for his officials and cops.
At Chetma no milk is saved for the simple reason there is no scope of its sale because of the most arduous route to Saraideeh the next important rural market. The DGP is said to have motivated the locals to go for cows here for milk to be sold to the police outpost.
Also goats would be given to 35 households here so that the locals earn more. The DGP asked the BDO there to ensure some grahak sewa kendra here as a prerequisite to the formation of Sakhi Mandal.
DGP said he was shocked to see a Government school which has only two rooms with just two para teachers deployed. Government schemes like Ujjawala, PM Awas Gramin Yojna, good road, safe drinking water etc are absolutely wanting here and villagers have no idea that these are for them.
DGP reminded that medical assistance be rushed here as the place abounds in malnutrition and anemia among girls.