A section of the media has reported about the people of Malkangiri’s ‘Swabhiman Anchal’, earlier known as the “cut-off” area because of its difficult topography, opposing the transfer of district superintendent of police, Rishikesh Khilari. People of three gram panchayats in this once inaccessible area recently held a demonstration seeking cancellation of his transfer which, they fear, would obstruct the development of the region which has begun after several decades.
They have credited him with not only checking the growth of left-wing insurgency in this belt which had got cut off from the district’s mainland more than four decades ago following the construction of a reservoir and a hydel power project, but also for facilitating developmental activities like road construction which was earlier impossible due to the fear of Maoist violence. While the love of area’s residents for this officer reflects on his efficiency and dedication to his job, it also a poignant commentary on the transformation of this hinterland due to the developmental initiatives of the government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
And nothing symbolizes the area’s growth better than the Gurupriya bridge which was inaugurated by the Chief Minister in 2018, connecting the area with the mainland by road for the first time after nearly five decades. The 910-metre bridge, which came into being due to the sheer determination of Patnaik who went ahead with the work despite the threat of Maoists, marked a new dawn for the area whose residents used to communicate with the district’s mainland only with the help of boats. While Maoist rebels ruled the roost in the area which was hard to penetrate for the security forces due to the lack of motorable roads, neither hospitals nor schools functioned properly.
Now all this has changed. The bridge has opened new vistas of development for this region where new metalled roads are being laid and panchayat offices have begun functioning properly. People can now even take advantage of mobile phone service. While the residents of the area remain beholden to Patnaik forever, it is natural for them to become possessive about officers who stuck to them when they were facing the threat of violence by the rebels.
The development of Swabhiman Anchal is one of the biggest success stories of the Naveen Patnaik government and it can serve as a model for the development of some other Maoist-dominated areas. The government seems to be following the right kind of strategy in the areas known for Maoist insurgency. While it has asked the security forces to step up their operation against the insurgents, it is simultaneously taking all possible steps for the growth of these regions to cut off the local support base of the Maoists. It has also taken care of posting honest and hardworking officers in these areas where people have been craving good governance. The strategy is now paying dividends and there is no better example of this than the growth of Malkangiri’s Swabhiman Anchal.
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