Deploring the collapse of grassroots democracy with the en masse resignation of over 60 PRI representatives of Kalimela block in the district, a high-level Congress team led by PCC president Niranjan Patnaik on Saturday asked the State Government to immediately step in and restore the confidence of the local representatives by initiating developmental measures.
“I request Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to come and spend two nights here – so what if he can’t speak Odia. Is the Chief Minister worried he would be abductedIJ If not, I am surprised why he does not review work here, nor spend a night,” Patnaik wondered.
Nabarangpur MP Pradeep Majhi, former Minister Narasingha Mishra and former MlA Tara Prasad Bahinipati, among others, accompanied the PCC chief. The team met Kalimela BDO and Malkangiri district Collector M Muthukumar.
The PRI representatives in Kalimela had resigned en masse last month over the inaction of the administration in completing an irrigation canal and providing other basic amenities to the people like drinking water. The PRI representatives include chairperson, vice chairman, panchayat samiti members, gram panchayat sarpanchs and ward members.
“We are shocked at the callousness of the BJD Government towards the collapse of this vital grassroots institution. We are shocked to note that the State Government has not even responded to this crisis and treating it as a casual event. Imagine 30 MlAs of Odisha or 100 MPs of lok Sabha resigning. PRIs are an important part of our constitutional edifice,” said Patnaik adding that he is sending a letter to the Central Government to take urgent measures to restore democracy here.
Ironically, Malkangiri is among the top three Maoist-affected districts in the country with 60 per cent tribals and 81 per cent people staying below the poverty line. However, the district fares poorly on all development indicators, besides reporting extremely poor utilization of Central funds under different schemes. “Innocent children are dying of diseases, youth are unemployed, women are vulnerable and farmers do not have access to irrigation and we feel there is an atmosphere of acute bedlam and unprecedented institutional decay,” lamented Patnaik.
Citing facts, Patnaik said under MNERGS, the district received Rs 35.39 crore till February this year, but only Rs 14.78 crore was spent. Out of the 3,024 units sanctioned under the IAY housing scheme, just over 30 houses were built. Under the IAP, the district has received Rs 85 crore out of which only Rs 55 crore has been spent. Malkangiri has as many as 36 health centres, apart from the district headquarters hospital but they remain non-functional as at least 40 posts of doctors, including specialists, are lying vacant against the sanctioned strength of 87.