Kosal Discussion and Development Forum

Odisha govt. benefits still elude Jhintu Bariha’s Chhabripali village in Balangir district

January 21, 2010 at 7:42 pm sanjibkarmee 1 comment

Following is a report from The Pioneer:

Even though it has already been more than three months since the death of Jhintu Bariha and his family members of Chhabripali under Khaprakhol block due to alleged starvation, politicians visiting the village are surprised to find that the condition of the village is yet to improve and the villagers are languishing in a sorry state.

Closely after the visit of Odisha Kisan Khet Mazdoor Congress president Amiya Patnaik to Chhabripali village in the first week of January, president of State Mahila Congress Asima Mahananda visited the village.

It is unfortunate that five members of the Jhintu Bariha family died of starvation, she told mediapersons on the evening of January 20 after visiting the village. The district administration after remaining active for 24 hours seems to have come to a standstill here, she alleged further. Even today Champe Bariah, the old father of Jhintu Bariah, is without a house. He should be given a house under the Indira Awas Yojana, she urged.

Moreover the lone surviving member of the family, Ramprasad Bariha’s condition is also not satisfactory. I would take up his case with Achyuta Samanta of Kalinga Institute of Social Service (KISS) and see that he is enrolled there, she said further.

Even today many women are suffering from anemic conditions. Ambika Bariaha who has given birth to a child is unable to feed his one-and-a-half month old child as she is suffering from anemia. The Asha Karmee is not functioning there properly, she alleged further. Another woman Khitisuta Bariha also died three months after giving birth to a child.

Even today, while as many as 40 villagers are waiting to be included in the APL list, 70 villagers are awaiting BPL list and as many as 70 women are waiting to be enrolled for widow pension, she claimed further. The village level workers (VLW) are not functioning properly and they are misbehaving the poor villagers, she alleged.

Most of the Central Government programmes like NREGS and Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana are not reaching them as lack of electricity and delay in payment to labourers are common, she alleged further. The Mahila Congress will give ‘special attention’ to the village in order to ensure that benefits of the development reach the village properly, she assured. However she parried the question why the district Congress committee is almost silent on this issue and why it took almost a month for the State Congress leaders to visit the village.

Entry filed under: Balangir, Breakdown in Balangir, Kalahandi Balangir Koraput (KBK) region, Malnutrition, Poverty and Hunger in Koshal region, Region watch, Starvation, Starvation deaths.