Odisha: Food panel seeks good communication to PVTG panchayats

BHUBANESWAR: As road connectivity still eludes at least seven gram panchayats of Pallahara block in Angul district predominately inhabited by primitive tribal community, Paudi Bhuyan, the Odisha State Food Commission (OSFC) has requested the state government to direct the district administration for all-weather communication for delivery of services to the area. After a recent visit to Baradiha, Seegarh, Bandhabhuin, Nagira, Saida, Nampasi and Pechamundi panchayats, chairperson of OSFC Abanikanta Sahoo had drawn the attention of the government to difficulties faced by people belonging to the particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) in availing benefits of welfare programmes. “During my visit to these gram panchayats, I observed that the main problem of this place is lack of road connectivity with other parts of the district. All the houses are without electricity and there is no mobile network. As these areas are difficult to reach, the people of these panchayats are deprived of welfare programmes like PDS, ICDS, SNP and immunisation,” said a letter of Sahoo to development commissioner Anu Garg. The population of Paudi Bhuyans is spread over various parts of Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam and they are mostly found in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Sambalpur and Angul district of Odisha. As the average literacy rate among different groups of PVTGs ranges between 10 and 44 per cent, it is a major problem for them to accept modern knowledge and techniques. The PVTGs face considerable social and economic inequalities due to their backwardness, the letter said. “Their problems vary from group to group, exacerbated by their beliefs and practices that affect their outlook and response to changes around them. Poverty, superstitions fuelled by illiteracy, deforestation and climatechange induced changes affect their lives greatly,” Sahoo said.