Middlemen, contractors, local politicians in connivance with Government officials are swindling crores of rupees under various welfare schemes. The result being there has been little eye catching development in the rural areas. But the honeymooning will end soon, asserted a girl student of Kisinda College of Sambalpur.
Sujata Pradhan reading in +3 class is a candidate for the post of Sarapanch in Meghpal Gram Panchayat under Jujomura block and a resident of Mudtal village where the Maoist activities began first in the district in the first decade of the current century.
“My aim is to educate people and bring development to the rural area since there is no dearth of funds now for blocks and Gram Panchayats. What is needed is proper utilization of funds available for developmental activities,” said Sujata.
What bears more importance to this girl is that she is the daughter of a Maoist supporter. Her father Bisi Pradhan was arrested twice for his alleged support to the Red rebels and is on bail now. But now, Bisi and all other Mao supporters are seen in electioneering in support of the girl who aims to bring about a change in the traditional way of politics in the rural areas and also promises good governance.
Normally, the Maoists are of the feeling that the present democratic system can’t give justice to the common people, particularly to the tribals. Hence, they prefer the other way of violence to get their rights. “But Bisi Pradhan and his friends, termed as Maoist supporters, have re-established their faith in democratic system,” opined Santosh Pradhan, a conscious denizen of the block.