Chief minister Raghubar Das’ directive to Deputy Commisioner and Superintendent of Police to reach out to people in difficult and remote areas led to a simple but impressive function under the banner of Parshashan Aap Key Dwaar at naxal den Mahudandin in Palamu on Thursday.
Such an official programme was never done here at Mahudand where except for polling in lok Sabha or in Vidhan Sabha teams of officials are air dropped and air lifted. No officers above the rank of BDO have ever dared to come here.
The change in scenario is all due to forward security post here and the presence of an all weather helipad. Sources said these two have cast a deep psychological impact on the living and thinking of the people here who till two or three years back lived a life of subjugation to Maoists but on this Thursday December 7 the local populace demanded 3 G facility for cell phone services, ATM, post office, coaching facility for competitive examination, skill training to able bodied youths.
Palamu administration did what the masses later liked most. The entire long team of officials civil and police reached Mahudand by road. None talked about going there by air. Sources said 2 or 3 years back if one had asked any officer to go to Mahudand by road he would have tendered his resignation, said sources.
However the team of officials was no complacent. They took all care. They reached Mahudand by one route and returned by another route thus left the lurking Maoists guessing said sources.
As regards the demand for ATM facility there, DC Ameet Kumar said there is PNB only which offers Grahak Sewa Kendra in Mahudand and the administration will ask this PNB to start micro ATM facility here. There is no bank around in a radius of 15 Kms of this place.
As regards demand for post office DDC Sushant Gaurav said first the administration will tone up the infrastructural facilities here then this demand for post office perhaps villagers meant sub post office will be done here.
DC Ameet Kumar and DDC Sushant Gaurav conceded there is no woman or male SHG operating here but said it will be launched here sooner as JSlBM is concentrating in Hussainabad right now.
Youths of this naxal den demand facility for coaching centre to crack competitive examination which was an unheard of thing some few years back as youths here used to take pride in moving with dasta of Maoists said sources.
A BSNl tower has come up in Mahudand but it provides only 2G services. People of this naxal hit Mahudand demand 3G services. DC Ameet Kumar said connectivity here is confined to a smaller place in the foot hill otherwise there is no connectivity on the plains.