'Development still a dream’: Over 3,000 Bodo villages in Northern Assam slam govt neglect

Tezpur, Oct 7: People living in the northern belt starting from Orang-Mazbat under the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) to Gohpur, including areas under Dhekiajuli, Rangapara, Sootea, Nadwar, Gohpur, and Behali in undivided Sonitpur district, have expressed annoyance at the government’s apathetic attitude towards problems that have affected them for many decades.

The people are plagued by many problems, including pitiable road communication, absence of electricity, drinking water, proper healthcare service, non-provincialisation of schools, land patta issues, inclusion of several villages under the BTR’s jurisdiction, etc.

There are over 3,000 Bodo villages in this belt, where people have been living without basic amenities for more than 50 years. During a recent visit by this correspondent, socially responsible persons like Anjan Daimary and Sonitpur district All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) president Enosh Mochahary, among others, alleged that despite many government programmes for development of rural areas, proper development in this belt is still a far cry due to the negligence of the authorities concerned as well as the public representatives.

In the context of the present-day scenario of the greater area, Anjan Daimary cited the example of Urohiloga village and pointed out that there is not a single road in good condition to connect this village with other parts of the region. “Moreover even during the 21st century, modern facilities like proper electrification, potable water facility like the much-hyped JJM (Jal Jeevan Mission), hospitals, and schools and colleges are still a distant dream for the people of this greater area,” Anjan said.

He added that there are 102 Bodo-medium schools in this belt, including 74 lower primary ones, 17 upper primary (ME) ones, and 11 high schools, which are still languishing in ‘venture’ status. Due to low enrolment of students following non-appointment of adequate number of teachers, some Bodo-medium schools have already closed down. Besides, 69 Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) centres in this belt – under the Dhekiajuli and Nadwar education blocks – are yet to be upgraded due to official red tape. Describing the pitiable condition of Bodo-medium schools, Anjan said that one cannot fathom how children of the area study in schools that have the poorest of infrastructure.

“When we speak about schools in other developed rural areas with every possible facility, the students here feel that it is a dream,” he said.

The aggrieved people of the area allege that it is the government’s intention to tactfully shut down Bodo-medium schools in the area, even if it violates the Right to Education Act, 2009.

Moreover, the people of the area have also been struggling for land pattas. Although successive governments had given assurances to settle their land patta problems, yet till date it has remained an unfulfilled commitment.

“The Panchayati Raj system is yet to be introduced in this belt, as a result of which modern and essential facilities like surface communication, safe drinking water, electricity, healthcare, etc., under different developmental schemes of the government, are yet to reach us,” a local villager said.

It is pertinent to mention that as per the BTR Accord of 2020, the citizens of 60 notified villages were newly inducted in the BTR area, including 18 villages under Sonitpur district. However, all administrative work pertaining to these villages will soon come under Udalguri district.

The people of these newly added villages are of the opinion that if the clauses of the BTR Accord are properly implemented, giving prime focus on inclusion of the remaining Bodo villages in the BTR by the newly elected government, then they will definitely enjoy the fruits of development at par with other developed communities of the region.