BJP leader and former Assembly Deputy Speaker Rama Chandra Panda submitted a memorandum to Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram during the latter’s visit on Sunday urging him for construction of a Panthasala at Mahendragiri and a cold storage for maize and other produce of tribal farmers near the hill in Gajapati district.
It may be mentioned that Mahendragiri is a heritage place and a spiritually iconic spot. In addition to its spiritual past, it is a beautiful tourist spot which attracts lakhs of pilgrims from all over the country. The hilltop, which is a sacred tourist and cultural center about which references are galore in the Mahabharata, is visited by saints of different faiths particularly on the occasion of Parsuram Jayanti and Mahasivaratri each year. The local tribal population mostly depends on tourism. Besides, several medicinal plants are available and the local tribal population knows their medicinal values, the memorandum said.
Since the way to the top of the hill is a hilly track surrounded by dense forest, construction of a Panthasala at the top and a all-weather road from Burakhata to Mahendragiri hill would not only make the spot a heritage tourist center, but eventually would also help economic emancipation of the local tribal population, the memorandum pointed out. It also said that maize cultivation is the prime cash crop of the tribal population in Gajapati district which the tribal farmers unfortunately have lost during three successive natural calamities in last two years. More shockingly, banks are not providing the required loan assistance to support the cyclonic-affected farmers to overcome the crisis. As a result, whatever maize crops are produced by the local tribal farmers are being sold at a throw-away price to the middlemen as there is no cold storage to stock the produce of the local tribals. The memorandum alleged that the Government agencies like TDCC do not procure the produce, thereby compelling the poor tribal farmers to sustain irreparable loss and go for distress.
Panda urged upon the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs to review the situation and provide necessary help to support the tribal farmers by helping the district administration both through financial and other logistic supports.