Kaimur (Bihar): Even after 73 years of Independence, residents of Karkatgar village in Kaimur district of Bihar have been living a life deprived of basic necessities including decent educational, health, sanitation and drinking water facilities.
Of all the problems they face, poor healthcare is the most grappling one.
In case of emergencies, people carry the patient on their shoulders in a cot. Crossing strenuous paths of hills and forests to reach the district hospitals adds to the gravity of the medical crisis.
After Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's visit to this village while campaigning for the Lok Sabha election, about eight months ago, the villagers hoped for better days ahead, but remained disappointed.
People felt that all the promises would soon be turned into reality. But, due to the apathetic attitude of the district administration, the situation remains the same.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, villagers completely exposed the attitude of district administration.
Surprisingly, the village has been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) on paper despite the fact that most of the villagers continue to defecate in the open.
One of the residents of the village said that while boundary walls for toilets have been built, toilets are yet to be installed.
"People here continue to defecate in the open. Not only this, if a villager falls ill, he/she needs to be rushed to the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh for treatment due to lack of proper medical facilities in the village," he said.
Contrary to the Centre's claim of 100 percent rural electrification, this village continues to remain in the dark, with frequent power cuts.
Expressing his anguish, another resident of the village accused the government of "fooling" them, and said, "electricity has reached the village but we hardly get access to it. The toilets made by the government are of no use."
"We are poor people. We are living without basic facilities. The government has done nothing for us. My pension is pending for the last three years but no one seems to take note of that. We have also not been allotted colonies," he added.
Kaimur district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state. It is one of the districts of the state which currently receives funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
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