R Karthik Raja & Vikramaditya
Laxmipur, June 20: Despite repeated appeals and complaints, five major road development works under the Gram Panchayat Laxmipur in Diglipur remain incomplete, leaving villagers in distress. Mr. Sujan Das, the Pradhan of Laxmipur Village, has written to the highest authorities, expressing deep concern over the stagnation of essential infrastructure works. “We have taken the matter to the topmost level, but the situation remains unchanged,” he stated.
The five critical works pending for long are:
1. Construction of Village Road from Panchayat Bhawan Laxmipur to Niranjan Adhikari’s House (Ward No. 3):
Only partial earthwork has been completed since 1985. Villagers are forced to wade through marshy terrain infested with wild elephants, putting their lives at risk. The area also has threats of Elephant attacks.
2. Repair of Road from Jaydev Mridha’s Land to Dilip Sutradhar’s Land (Ward No. 1):
The 1.5 km CRF Road is in a deplorable condition, causing immense difficulty for commuters.
3. Repair of APWD Road from Subash Gram Bazar to Basadeck Milangram (Ward No. 4):
Although the estimate has been prepared, administrative approval and expenditure sanction are still pending.
4. Construction of CC Road from Ananta Haider via Niranjan Mistry to Probhat Mondal’s Land (Milangram, Ward No. 1) – MGNREGA Work:
Earthwork was completed in 2021, but the CC road is yet to begin despite yearly estimates being prepared and revised.
5. Repair and Maintenance of PMGSY-I APWD Road from Main Road to Sukharanjan’s Land (Milangram, Ward No. 2):
Awarded to some contractor in 2018 with the foundation stone laid, but the work has not even commenced till date.
The Pradhan emphasized that the poor condition of these roads has made commuting extremely hazardous, especially during emergencies. “Every year, we raise the same demands, but no action follows. People have lost faith,” he lamented, urging the administration for immediate action before the situation worsens further. Villagers urge IAS Secretary level officers to come out of AC chambers and visit the far flung villages to understand the ground realities. “Atleast Chief Secretary must send a high level team to examine these road,” said a villager of the area.
