Kuchha roads, villagers grope in darkness

70 years of Independence

Special Correspondent

Silchar, July 11: The Sonowal led BJP government which came to power on the agenda of development for urban and rural areas and the repeated refrain on ‘no fund crunch’ has failed to live up to the expectations of the people even after being in power for more than 2 years. Questions have begun to be asked in various circles is this government at Dispur is in any way different from the previous Congress regimes. The discontentment and displeasure of people, particularly in rural areas of Barak Valley, are more than apparent when the residents of the cluster of villages under Bagbahar goan panchayat in the Lakhipur sub division of Cachar have to organize a meeting to ventilate their acute grievances.

The assembly of people has to adopt resolutions on the worst conditions of roads that connect Bagbahar goan panchayat office to Lalpani, Vivekananda LP School to Shivathal Basti and New Bagbahar. Nothing has been done to improve the road in question that calls for laying of concrete blocks or bitumen. During the monsoon, the roads turn muddy and become very difficult to negotiate. Moreover, potholes and craters bake them a death-trap. Movement of vehicular traffic comes to a standstill. Villagers dare not tread through. Despite series of memoranda to the people’s representatives of the area and the authorities concerned, things fail to move. In the meantime, as Subhas Das, president of the development committee, Bagbahar, said 65 years have gone by and “We are still hoping against hope.”

Unable to get any response on the matter from Cabinet Minister, Parimal Suklabaidya, pointed out Subhas Das, they have to submit a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar today to draw his attention to ‘our agonizing problem’. The decision to approach the administrative head has been taken on the basis of the consensus opinion of the mass assembly. It has been hammered that the Deputy Commissioner will be impressed upon to visit the isolated and neglected areas of their villages to see for himself the pitiable conditions of the roads and for initiating works for improvement on priority basis. It is really most unfortunate as Subhas Das articulated that the 10,000 inhabitants of the areas are still deprived of even the basic facilities of electricity, potable drinking water and health services. The villagers have to grope in the dark and wait for justice. Frustrated villagers ask is ‘sabka saath sabka vikash’ a mere slogan? Will the magnanimous Deputy Commissioner listen to the voice of neglected and discriminated people?