Adivasi Protest in Vizag For 4-Km Road in ASR District
Children have to walk long distances to reach Anganwadi centres
Visakhapatnam: Tribal groups from ASR district staged a protest in Vizag over the delay in starting construction of a four-kilometre road from Dasarithota to Mettapalem for which Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan had laid the foundation stone nearly 11 months ago.
This ₹3.77 crore project is to benefit 25 tribal villages with a combined population of around 10,000 in the Chilakalagadda panchayat of Ananthagiri mandal in Alluri Sitarama Raju district. The villages include Pashuvulubanda, Jeelugulova, Neellubanda, and Sompurambanda.
Although the Panchayat Raj Engineering department has prepared an estimate of ₹2.11 crore for a three-kilometre road from Kaniman Junction to Pasuru Banda village, funds have not been sanctioned so far.
As a result, residents of hilltop villages have to carry those ill in makeshift palanquins for medical treatment. Children have to walk long distances to reach Anganwadi centres.
Protesters demanded the immediate release of funds for BT roads, sanction of roads for non-scheduled tribal villages, and Antyodaya cards for all Konda Adivasi families.
On the day, the Gadaba PVTG community from Matlapalem staged a parallel protest seeking fishing boats and nets to support their livelihoods along the Gostani stream.
Those who participated in the protests included CPM leader K. Govinda Rao, PVTG leader Sederi Kamesh, and tribal fishing community leader Shobha Shiva.
