How an IRS officer's trip became boon for an indigenous community facing existential threat

NEW DELHI: A weekend trip by an IRS officer to the scenic village of Chilapata Rava Basti in Alipurduar district of West Bengal two years back changed the lives of countless unprivileged children from an indigenous community, which is facing an existential threat.
After two years, the local primary school of the remote village, surrounded by forests, has smart classes and computers today. Its shabby building has turned beautiful with its outside walls painted with pictures of different tribal festivals, highlighting their rich cultural heritage. The school also has a state-of-the-art library on its top floor.
All thanks to Atul Kumar Pandey, the IRS officer currently posted as the joint commissioner of Income Tax in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, who started his mission of changing the lot of the children of Rava community with the help of the members of the local business community and administration two years ago.
Pandey was posted in Siliguri two years ago when he came in contact with this community during the trip. He at once fell in love with the innocent people of the Rava community.
Pendey believes that with proper education, problems like alcoholism and unemployment, prevalent in the community, can be solved.
Apart from education, Pandey is a firm believer of protecting the indigenous culture. In January 2022, he organised Runtuk Festival in the village where the Rava community showcased their rich cultural heritage.
He has also built a Runtuk Temple with the help of the business community, besides working for bringing the indegenous people to the mainstream.