Basic facilities, a mirage in Maoist-affected villages

Good roads and other basic infrastructure facilities still remain as the main demands of the people, who reside in Maoist-affected areas of Thombattu, Macchattu, Hallihole, Amasebailu, in Byndoor Assembly constituency.

Fifty six-year-old Suru Poojarthy said that she resides in Ulluru village, some seven kilometers away from Varahi. She told media persons that despite their proximity to Varahi project, the families in and around the mega irrigation project still face acute water scarcity.

“There are no hospitals and one has to travel 5-6 kilometers to Siddhapur for treatments,” she added.

She said there is no land of their own and were leading a hard life.

Asha, who completed her B.Com with much difficulty, said that there were no frequent buses to Shankaranarayana, in order to pursue higher education.

“The college education is a dream for all the students in Ulluru. They need to travel 10-11 kilometers to get the education,” she added.

Chandrashekar Shetty from Thombattu says he feels obliged to exercise his franchise in every election.

“But politicians are not trustworthy,” he said. There are no proper roads. Besides, the mobile connectivity is nil. If a patient is serious, there is no way the patient can be taken to hospital. The death is inevitable, he added.

“There is no Maoist menace in the area. It did exist a few years ago. However government and officials are making money in the name of Naxals,” Shetty lamented.