Khunti, Sept. 17 -- Faced with alleged government inaction, nearly 40 villagers of Chakomda in Jharkhand's Khunti district have taken up shramdan (community labour) to fill potholes and make an unmetalled road motorable, a local panchayat official said on Wednesday.
Binda panchayat mukhiya Dixon Purty said the villagers have been demanding construction of a concrete road for years and had approached local MLAs and the district administration for a 5km stretch connecting Chakomda, Bundu Mamail, Balgi and other nearby villages to the Khunti-Chaibasa main road.
"However, when no action was seen at the ground level, the villagers became restive and resorted to 'shramdan' to at least make the road motorable by filling up big potholes and avoid problems faced during health emergencies and school going students," Purty claimed.
Chakomda village head Ansalen Soy said villagers usually resort to such community efforts before the onset of monsoon each year.
"This time, the rains arrived earlier than expected, and we were caught off-guard. The potholes filled with water and mud made it difficult to commute," he said.
"However, nearly 40 villagers have started filling the potholes by placing stones, chips and small boulders," Soy added.
The village head said this would make it possible for at least two-and three-wheelers to move along the road during emergencies.
Purty added that Khunti MLA Ram Surya Munda wrote to the state rural development department for construction of the road connecting the village.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.