Nirbhaya's village still awaits promised health centre

Even two years after the brutal Delhi gang-rape and murder, the Uttar Pradesh government has not been able to fulfil its promise of constructing a primary health centre at the native village of the victim in Ballia district, about 300 kilometres from here.

While failure to fulfil a promises — which had been made by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav — makes the victim’s family members sad, the villagers as well as the residents of the neighbouring areas were angry at what they term the apathetic attitude of the state government.

“It seems the state government has forgotten the tragedy,” says her grandfather.Akhilesh, who had travelled to her village and met the family members shortly after the horrific incident, had then announced that a primary health centre would be constructed at the village.

He had also announced that the government would launch a host of schemes to develop the area. Several ministers of his cabinet had also then accompanied him and made tall promises to develop the area.

All those announcements, however, remain on papers for the last two years.Though the land for the Centre had been acquired, the building was yet to be constructed.Local officials said the construction work could not be started as the Allahabad High Court had stayed it on a petition filed by some residents. 

“We plan to begin the work as soon as the stay is vacated. We have filed a petition challenging the order,” said a district official.

The officials, however, could not explain as to why disputed land had been acquired in the first place. Her family members also pointed out that the road that leads to the village was in poor condition.

The officials had then promised to get the road constructed but nothing has been done so far, family members said.