[ Karda Natam ]

DAPORIJO, 10 Jul: PRI leaders and villagers of Giba circle in Upper Subansiri district have expressed strong resentment over the government’s alleged inaction to restore road communication.

The PRI leaders, led by ZPM Mayum Dobin, on Friday conducted an on-the-spot assessment of roads damaged by incessant rainfall over the past few months in the circle.

Over 22 villages in the circle, with a combined population of over 5,000, have  remained cut off from the rest of the district for months due to multiple landslides along the PMGSY road from Giba to Lingdam.

Speaking during the visit to Jao Koro Nallah, near Luchi and Lute villages, the ZPM said that he had repeatedly apprised the government of hardships faced by the residents. However, no concrete action has been taken so far to address the villagers’ grievances, he said.

He said the prolonged road disruption has resulted in an acute shortage of essential commodities, forcing villagers to carry food and daily necessities on their backs from distant towns, causing immense hardship.

Dobin further informed that the PRI leaders had urged the government to arrange helicopter sorties for air-dropping essential commodities to the affected villages during the emergency, but to no avail.

Highlighting another long-pending issue, the ZPM said that several villages in Giba circle continue to remain without regular electricity despite the implementation of various centrally sponsored rural electrification schemes across the country.

He added that he had proposed the establishment of a mini hydropower project in Giba circle, citing the area’s abundant water resources and suitable geographical conditions for generating electricity. However, he alleged that the proposal was rejected by the state government, while hydropower projects were taken up in other areas.

The PRI leaders and villagers appealed to the government to treat the situation as a matter of urgency and immediately restore the damaged roads, provide reliable electricity connectivity, and take concrete measures to address the long-pending developmental issues of Giba circle.

They said that continued neglect of the region would further aggravate the hardships faced by thousands of residents living in the remote area.