TV
An elderly man sustained critical injuries in a bear attack on Monday. The victim has been identified as Gura Munda- a resident of a remote village under Koida Block in Odisha's Sundergarh district.
He was attacked by the bear while grazing his cattle in a nearby jungle. He suffered severe injuries, resulting in significant amount of blood loss.
Some villagers found him in critical condition and called for an ambulance. However, due to the lack of proper roads, the ambulance got stuck about two kilometers away near Bendrilada.
In a desperate attempt to save Munda’s life, the villagers fashioned a makeshift stretcher and carried him for two kilometers until they were able to reach the ambulance.
Munda was initially taken to the Sub-Divisional Health Center for emergency care, before being transferred to the Rourkela Government Hospital for further treatment.
The incident has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the District Mineral Fund, which is promoted as a symbol of regional development.
Locals are now questioning whether this "development" is truly benefiting the community.
Now the question arises why even after 24 years of the stable BJD government in Odisha several villages still don’t have motorable roads.
Though tall claims were being made by the previous government of massive development in rural areas, the ground reality seems totally different.
The above instance from Sundergarh is not new for Odisha. Several such instances of people carrying patients and even pregnant women on cot and sling have come to the fore in the past.
In a similar incident reported in July, 2024, in Keonjhar, a woman lost her life as she could not reach the ambulance in time. The deceased, Patia Naika, suddenly fell ill following which her family called for an ambulance but the vehicle had to stop at a distance of 1 km away from the village due to lack of motorable roads. The family carried the woman on a cot to the ambulance but she lost her life midway for not being able to receive treatment on time.
In another incident recorded in May 2024, Bhanu Kamar, a patient from Khambarpadar was carried on a sling by his family after the ambulance got stuck at a distance. The patient was suffering from diarrhoea and was in dire need of medical attention. However, the ambulance could not cross the creek flowing in the outskirts of the village.
A significant budget was allocated to improve connectivity between rural villages and urban growth centers, aiming to enhance the quality of life in rural areas by the previous BJD government in 2021. A total of Rs 912 crore was proposed under the Biju Setu Yojana for the construction of bridges and roads. Additionally, Rs 781 crore was earmarked for improving and constructing Rural Development (RD) Roads & Bridges while Rs 300 crore were to be allocated under the Mukhya Mantri Sadak Yojana to support 416 then ongoing and 142 new road projects, which aimed to connect previously isolated regions. Furthermore, the government then planned to invest Rs 2000 crore under the PMGSY scheme to complete 4,000 kilometers of rural roads.
However, it seems the rural Odisha is still reeling under sheer neglect and in dire need of massive infrastructural development.
