Over 250 tribal habitations remain isolated in Asifabad

The tribals have now pinned their hopes on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy's tour to Adilabad district on Friday and are expecting him to make announcements and ensure implementation of the same to improve their lives.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Tribals have been struggling to reap the fruits of developmental programmes even 75 years post Independence in the country.

A considerable portion of habitations, mostly of ethnic tribes, are still deprived of road connectivity, owing to insufficient allocation of funds and delay in according approval to the facility by the Forest department.

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The district accounts for 335 Gram Panchayats comprising over 1,050 habitations. Of them, 280 habitations in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district do not have road facilities. In particular, 126 habitations are facing a severe challenge, according to officials of the Panchayat Raj and Roads & Building departments.

Tribals from scores of habitations in Kerameri, Wankidi, Jainoor, Sirpur (U), Lingapur, Thiryani, Penchikalpet, Bejjur and Chinthalamanepalli mandals continue to be isolated during the monsoon. The dwellers of these interior settlements, located in dense forests and hilly areas, are left with no option but to repose faith in god while shifting their family members to hospital in nearby mandal centres and towns during medical emergencies.

Officials of Panchayat Raj and Roads & Building department said proposals for laying roads to these tribal areas were pending for quite a long time. “Proposals were submitted estimating the cost to be Rs.500 crore. However, funds were not sanctioned to at least 10 percent of the roads mentioned in the proposals so far,” an official said.

Meanwhile, inordinate delay in giving nod to the proposed road facilities by the Forest department is compounding woes of the tribals. Scores of proposals are still pending with the department, it is learned. Elected representatives say they are fed up by the hurdles created by bureaucrats.

The tribals have now pinned their hopes on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s tour to Adilabad district on Friday and are expecting him to make announcements and ensure implementation of the same to improve their lives.