With not much progress made in implementation of MP model village scheme, many in Golrahaat gram panchayat in Kendrapara district know little about 'Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana' (SAGY), the Centre's flagship rural development scheme.
"We do not know that our village has been adopted for model development. Development work is done every year from panchayat funds. I don't find anything special taking place in our village. Nothing tangible seems to have occurred in the development graph under SAGY", a local Harish Mohanty, said.
"Our localities are comparatively developed. We have a college, schools, banks, police station besides fire station. Government hospital is also located in the neighbourhood. The village has good roads connected to national highway. After our GP was covered under SAGY two years back, we had pinned hopes of more progress and development. But SAGY progress is not satisfying", another local Bipin Behari Sahu said.
Sarpanch of Golarhaat GP, Trilochan Rout also spoke on the same line.
"As many as 43 projects were lined up under SAGY. However, there has been inordinate delay in release of funds. This has resulted in slow progress of the projects. The government agencies have partially released funds only three months back. Various line departments are not evincing the desired interest for project work. Had the officials been sincere, work of majority of project would have made considerable progress", the Sarpanch said.
Despite constraints, a paddy threshing concrete ground worth 8 lakh is now ready for the use of farming community. Besides construction of a mini stadium has come to an end. The GP office has also internet connectivity. However, as many as 40 other projects are languishing in neglect.
"Construction of community toilets, community hall, overhead water supply tank has begun. We are waiting for funds for work to start in other projects", he added.
Prior to its inclusion under SAGY, the gram panchayat
was already endowed with adequate infrastructure.
The comparatively developed gram panchayat which has among other things a nationalised bank, gramin bank, a government-aided college, a high school and 8 primary schools is home to 5,100 people.
The agrarian belt is supplemented with adequate canal irrigation network and excellent road connectivity. A community health centre is hardly a kilometre away from the gram panchayat office while a government-run ITI is operational in the close vicinity of the GP adopted by Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda under model village scheme.
Kendrapara Collector Debraj Senapati said "Delayed fund release has affected the SAGY projects. However, we are expediting its progress. The Block Development Officer (BDO) has been asked to periodically review the progess".
Derabish BDO Krushna Chandra Sethy said, "delay in project work was due to non-release of funds. Now work is on track as funds are being steadily released by concerned line departments".
Many are cynical of selection of Golarhaat for MP's model village scheme.
"SAGY intends to improve the standard of living and quality of life of selected village and infrastructure development. Golarhaat is a developed area. There are many areas in the district which are cut off from mainstream and lying abysmally low in development index. A backward area should have been chosen for for SAGY plan", an activist Ganesh Chandra Samal said.
