The people of a remote village in Jharkhand's Latehar district continue to suffer due to lack of primary medical facilities since the Maoists blew up a health centre in the area about two years ago.
The government efforts to rebuild the health centre have met with little success in the wake of threats from the ultras.
Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) of Latehar, S.K. Agrahari, on Wednesday said that the people of Serengdag village were facing hardships as the nearest health centre is at Heranj at a distance of 60 kilometres.
"There was a sub-centre which was blown up by some Maoists, although the sub-centre was not handed over by then. Before this health centre was built, the villagers of Serengdag had to go to Heranj for primary health care. And after the health centre has been blown up, they have to travel to Heranj again," said Agrahari.
The officials said the administration was planning to appoint a doctor in Daltonganj to look after the villagers.
The health sub-centre was built in 2012 to provide better health care to the villagers. But the centre was blown up by rebels a year later.
The villagers said the rebels targeted the centre as the police force used to camp there.
"We face problems, mainly during emergencies, especially if it occurs at odd hours like at night. We don't even have proper road connectivity. Here in our village we don't have proper facility of primary treatment, therefore we have to go out. Sometimes the patients even die due to inordinate delay," said Suresh Prasad, a villager.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has stressed on the need for better coordination between the Central and state governments to meet the challenge posed by Maoists to the security forces.
Describing the Naxal problem as the gravest challenge facing India, he had earlier asked all states which are grappling with the menace to appoint as District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police such officers who have the 'zeal' to fight the rebels.
