Villagers in CM Rawat’s turf deprived of basic facilities

BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, August 8

A woman was electrocuted at Dor village in Munsiyari subdivision of the district yesterday. In another incident, villagers took a woman in a palanquin to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Madkot, trudging 25 km, as the road is closed. Villagers living in remote hilly areas of the Dharchula Assembly segment, represented by Chief Minister Harish Rawat, often complain about lack of basic facilities.

“Govindi Devi (41) was electrocuted when she accidentally touched an 11 kw electricity wire in her field where she had gone to collect fodder for her cattle,” said Kaushalya Devi, gram pradhan of Dor village. She said several women had been electrocuted in the past as electricity wires were hanging loose in the area. “Despite several complaints, power department officials have not bothered to take care of these deadly wires, which have taken several lives,” she said.

Residents of Tomik village carrying an ailing woman on a palanquin today trekked 25 km to the Primary Health Centre at Madkot as the road has been closed for one month. “We had to trek over 15 hours to reach the PHC Madkot for the treatment of Kamal Devi, who could not be transported to the hospital as the Madkot-Bona road has been closed for the last one month,” said Khushal Singh, a villager.

Tomik villagers say the Chief Minister has failed to provide even basic facilities like health, schooling and roads in his constituency. “It is the second case in which villagers had to carry an ailing woman on a palanquin to the Primary Health Centre. A similar incident happened last month,” said Tulsi Devi, gram pradhan of Tomik village.

Meanwhile, GR Arya, principal of Government Intermediate College at Nachni, called a meeting of parents to inform them that the school building was not safe. “The school building has become unsafe for teaching work as wooden joints of the roof have broken and rainwater enters classrooms,” said Arya.

According to locals, seven of the 13 rooms that have not been repaired for the last 10 years are not safe. “I have visited the school and found the building unfit for teaching work. I have sent a report to higher officers,” said Kushtubh Mishra, SDM, Munsiyari.