Beltila and Kathaltilla, two remote villages located in the Hirachara ADC Village, ten kilometers from Kailashahar in Tripura are still waiting for the dawn of development.
The only road connecting Beltila village with Kailashahar is an earthen track, which turns into a marsh land during the rainy season. The villagers have reportedly taken matters into their own hands, constructing whatever roads they could. However, the government’s promises of development, loudly proclaimed through microphones, have yet to materialize in the area. A slight drizzle is enough to transform the road into a muddy mess, making it nearly impossible for the sick to reach the hospital for treatment.
Despite the arrival of electricity in the villages of Beltila and Kathaltilla, the residents are forced to rely on kerosene lamps due to the highly unstable power supply. Janajati man Marry Marak alleged electricity is available only one or two days a week. Ironically, while the electricity supply is erratic, the electricity bills arrive promptly every month.
The government’s failure extends to the provision of drinking water as well. The entire area lacks any government arrangement for drinking water. When questioned about the Atal Jaldhara Mission, the locals expressed their ignorance of any such project. Consequently, the village faces a severe shortage of drinking water. Despite repeated pleas to the panchayat, the villagers’ cries for help have fallen on deaf ears.
Fazlu Mia and Sohag Mia, residents of Beltila village, alleged the poor condition of the roads has deprived them of many facilities, including healthcare. They claimed even though government water tankers occasionally bring drinking water, the villagers have to walk a few kilometers to the PWD road to collect their water as the tankers cannot navigate the poor roads to enter the village.
Their plea to the state government is straightforward – immediate repair of the roads and improvement in the quality of water and electricity services. The villagers hope that their voices will finally be heard, and the long-awaited development will finally reach their doorstep.
(Tripura, Tripura News)
