Roadless villages in Odisha still exist as officials ignore Govt directives

Despite clear instructions from the Odisha government to prioritise road connectivity in remote villages, several government officials continue to withhold crucial data. This delay hampers development, and thousands still live in isolation across the State.

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Even after repeated reminders, government officials in Odisha are failing to provide critical data on villages lacking road access, effectively stalling rural connectivity projects. This isn’t merely a public grievance—it has been formally acknowledged by the Rural Development department itself in an official letter.

The department’s Director has recently written to CDOs (Chief Development Officers) across the State, highlighting how officers are not submitting vital data about disconnected villages despite several requests, including one made as far back as August last year.

The lack of response triggered another urgent communication from the Rural Development Director demanding immediate action in a specific format. While the State government claims to prioritise road access to remote villages, the ground reality paints a starkly different picture.

For instance, in Hatigada village of Kokalaba panchayat under Jagannathprasad block in Ganjam district, there is only a rugged 3 Km terrain. Due to a lack of road connectivity and the unavailability of government services and welfare schemes, the population in the village has dropped from 30 families to just seven.

In Kamaraguda under Chitrakonda block, Malkangiri, villagers still walk 2 Km along a rough path as no motor vehicle can reach the region. Even repeated appeals to local authorities have brought no change.

Baghbeda village under Jharigaon block in Nabarangpur is in a similar condition—entirely cut off from motorable roads, leaving essential services out of reach.

5,197 villages lack all-weather roads

Shockingly, the Rural Development Minister had previously stated in a Legislative Assembly session that 5,197 villages in Odisha still lack all-weather roads. The question now is: Will the bureaucrats finally respond, or will another year pass with rural Odisha left behind sans road connectivity?

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“We have been instructed by the Government to immediately visit ground zero and collect detailed information on villages that do not have access roads,” Aska MLA Saroj Padhi said.

Reported By: Rajesh Panda, Ratnakar Pradhan, Jagdish Das, Soumya Ranjan Sahoo