The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an action-taken report (ATR) from the Chief Secretary of Odisha and the Secretary, Union Ministry of Rural Development over failure to ensure basic human rights of the children of Barhabasa village under Gadasahi Panchayat under Oupada block in Baleswar district.
Stating the plight of the poor villagers, Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy drew the attention of the NHRC.
There is no Anganwadi centre, road, electricity connection for the poor tribal villagers of the Barhabasa village under Gadasahi Panchayat. Maternity care, children care and senior citizen care remain a mirage for these unfortunate villagers. This is a classic case of administrative neglect, complained Tripathy.
The administration has visibly failed to provide basic facilities owing to which the residents have been put up with extreme hardships. For lack of roads and bridges over water bodies, students face a tough time to reach their schools. They have been living in awful conditions for the last 50 years without basic amenities of life. Ambulance, fire brigade can never reach the village. The benefits of social welfare schemes have also not reached to the villagers, the petitioner pointed out.
As the villagers are poor illiterate tribals their complaint goes unanswered by the administration. Negligence and failure of the Government authorities in acting over the issue of bare necessities of life pose serious question of human rights, Tripathy alleged.
He requested the NHRC to investigate the case, direct the Secretary, Union Ministry of Rural Development and the Odisha Chief Secretary to immediately ensure basic necessities of life to the villagers along with the benefits of social welfare schemes and legal action against the errant officials.