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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Malkangiri's cut-off' area far from development by Satyanarayan Pattnaik

Malkangiri's cut-off' area far from development by Satyanarayan Pattnaik

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published Published on Apr 3, 2011   modified Modified on Apr 3, 2011
Ever since Malkangiri collector R Vineel Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Mohan Majhi were released by the Maoists, development work has taken a beating in the "cut-off" area under Kudumulgumma block of Malkangiri district.

Maoists had abducted Krishna and Majhi at gun-point from near Bodopoda, located within the "cut-off" area, while they were returning after inspecting a development work there on February 16. The Red rebels had released the collector on February 24, two days after they had freed the junior engineer.

But it was not before the government assured them of fulfilling 14 demands made by the Maoists through their interlocutors. But after the release of the officials, sources alleged, development work has come to a standstill in the area that consists of six panchayats and 151 villages with a population of 24,065.

"Not a single government official has ventured into the "cut-off" area ever since the collector's kidnap episode. Development has come to a complete standstill," alleged a resident at Chitrakonda.

Sources said that assured the government that they would not attack or hinder any government official involved in development in the area. But out of Maoist fear, no official has dared to venture into the cut-off area.

On condition of anonymity, a senior official said: "Though the Maoists have not issued any threat to any official, we are panicked after the abduction fiasco. We are scared and don't feel safe to venture into that area anymore. We can't take a chance."

If any government activity is noticed in the six panchayats of the "cut-off" area, it is only the distribution of subsidized rice.

Apart from this, all other development activities like construction of roads, buildings, culverts, plantation among others have been badly-hit due to lack of supervision by officials. Works under central job scheme MGNREGA has also taken a beating at the Maoist dominated six panchayats.

Project director of District Rural Development Agency (Malkangiri) Balwant Singh, who has also not visited the "cut-off" area since the release of the collector, said the junior engineer Majhi was in-charge of three panchayats of the "cut-off" area and after the incident we are not sending him into the area. Because of that, development activities has been partially hit in the area.

"It's not that development activities have come to a standstill there. We have made payments to labourers engaged in plantation under MGNREGA in the area and other development activities are on. But the pace has definitely slowed down. As officials are panicked over the incident, we are are not forcing them to go into the area. But the block development officer is regularly touring the area."

The remoteness of the area can be traced back to the early 60s, when vast tracts of forest land and villages got submerged and remained cut off from the mainland to make space for the Balimela reservoir of the Balimela hydro project.

The area is only approachable by motorboats. This land is so remote that it is even officially called the "cut-off" area. Being optimistic that things will change for the better, Singh said:"It's just a matter of time that normalcy will be restored in the area and development work will resume at its earlier pace.

The Times of India, 2 April, 2011, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Malkangiris-cut-off-area-far-from-development/articleshow/7853405.cms


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