PVTGs Cry For Road Connectivity In ASR District
Though the government has sanctioned `38 lakh for a road from Ballagoruvu to Dayarthi within the Jenapadu Pinnakota gram panchayat, there is no commitment to extend this connectivity to Madrevabu.
Visakhapatnam: Over 2,500 members of Kondu community of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in the remote stretches of Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district face severe isolation due to lack of road connectivity between Dayarthi and Madrevabu villages via Tuniseebu. With no motorable road, villagers are forced to walk 44 km round trip to get government rations and trek 25 km to reach the nearest primary health centre at Pinakota.
Though the government has sanctioned Rs 38 lakh for a road from Ballagoruvu to Dayarthi within the Jenapadu Pinnakota gram panchayat, there is no commitment to extend this connectivity to Madrevabu. The stretch has become overgrown with wild vegetation, leaving only a narrow footpath for travel.
In a powerful act of self-reliance and protest, tribal youth from Dayarthi and Madrevabu cleared a 7-km jungle stretch by hand, demanding that the government initiate road construction to connect their villages.
CPM leader K. Govinda Rao and Girijana Sangham leaders S. Ramesh and K. Somanna supported their effort.
Govinda Rao says, “The community’s action highlights the urgent need for inclusive infrastructure in tribal regions and calls attention to the gaps in rural development planning.”
