Vexed by Official Apathy, Tribal Villagers Toil to Build Road

Visakhapatnam: Vexed by the negligence of the officials who failed to take steps for the completion of a road project, 120 Kondu tribal people of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) constructed a 1.5-km road connecting Jajulu Bandha to Pitri Gadda village by levelling the rough terrain in two days, bridging a critical gap for their isolated communities. Jajulu Bandha, a small hilltop village in the ASR district’s Moolapet Panchayat, is home to 30 Kondu families. Access to this remote area had long been arduous, requiring a difficult journey from Arla village via Pitri Gadda.

The urgency for better infrastructure surfaced when Korra Shanti, an expecting mother from Jajulu Bandha, endured a seven-kilometre journey by being carried in doli—a makeshift stretcher arrangement used in emergencies. Similarly, Korra Devi, another pregnant woman from Pitri Gadda, faced similar challenges. These distressing incidents drew public attention of the Anakapalle district collector who allocated Rs 4.1 crore on December 2, 2024, for the construction of the road from Arla to Pitri Gadda. However, despite the funding, the progress on the project remains sluggish, leaving Jajulu Bandha disconnected.

Taking matters into their own hands, villagers worked tirelessly on April 13 and 14 to build the much-needed road in the guidance of Konda Tambali Venkat Rao and Korra Kameshu. Their efforts have temporarily alleviated the pressing need for road connectivity, but the villagers urge the ITDA PO to expedite the promised proper road construction.