BALASORE: Hopes of development and good governance make 55-year-old Chakradhar Sahu of Badatalapada village under Basta Assembly constituency cast his vote in every election.
Elections come and go but the situation in his village, which falls under Baliapal block, has remained unchanged all these years with no sign of development.

Around 1,600 people, belonging to SC and OBC, take a boat to cross a tributary of Subarnarekha river and walk for 3 km before reaching Jamkunda Chowk, the nearest market. Adding to their woes is the deplorable condition of the 3-km narrow road connecting the market, which is 7 km away from Baliapal block headquarters.

The village, located just 100 metre off Bay of Bengal, remains cut off from the rest of the world during monsoon.

Sahu said, “Even after 72 years of Independence, the development is still a far cry in our village. The only wish of the people in the area is better road communication - a bridge over the tributary - as it will end one of their major problems. It becomes extremely difficult for the people to cross the river which swells during rainy season.”

The 3-km road constructed by Rural Development (RD) department years ago has turned into a deathtrap after it narrowed down to less than 30 metre due to floods. No repair work has been carried out on the route for several years. Despite several requests to the district administration, no steps have been taken so far, he added.

Sankar Mangaraj said due to narrow road, four-wheelers are unable to reach the village. Patients are being carried on cots to cross the river. He recalled how a pregnant woman from the village died on her way to  hospital.

The villagers informed that in 2017, a proposal, with an estimated cost of `12 crore to construct bridge over the tributary under Biju Setu Yojana and a permanent road to the village, was submitted to the Chief Executive Engineer of RD department. Despite repeated visits to the Sub-Divisional Office (SDO) of the department, no steps have been taken in this regard. Even a delegation of villagers had met local MP Rabindra Jena over the demand, but to no avail, they alleged. They have threatened to boycott the 2019 elections if their demands are not fulfilled.

Sub-Divisional Officer of RD department at Baliapal Soubhagya Kumar Das said the file is pending at the Chief Executive Engineer’s office.