Visakhapatnam: In a poignant demonstration of community solidarity, residents of C.K. Padu, especially those from the tribal community, rallied to support Velam Bheemaraju, a 62-year-old individual facing significant health challenges, recently.
Fellow villagers and his family members transported Bheemaraju for three kilometres on a doli, a traditional makeshift stretcher. The incident highlights the enduring difficulties encountered by the 403 scheduled tribe (ST) Bhagata individuals residing in Chalisingam, a hilltop village within the Chimalapadu panchayat of Ravikamatham mandal in Anakapalle district.
The underlying problem stems from forest officials impeding road construction in the area. In the fiscal year 2023–24, the previous government allocated a budget of ₹2.66 crore for construction of a bituminous road under GO 726. The foundation stone for the road had been laid on January 24, 2024.
However, progress on the BT road remains stalled due to the absence of necessary permissions from the forest department.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan have decried practices, such as people carrying patients on a doli for three kilometres or relying on horseback or foot travel.
Recently, ASR district forest officer visited the area, instilling confidence among the Adivasi of Chalisingam about construction of the bituminous road. Yet the formal permission has not been granted, necessitating the continued use of doli to transport the ill and infirm.
Tribal leaders, including CH Shankar Rao and Cheepuru Ramesh, have appealed to forest department that it expedite the permission for the BT road, thereby assisting the community.
AP Girijana Sangham Fifth Schedule Sadhana Committee district honorary president K. Govinda Rao has called on the Anakapalle district collector to visit Chalisingam and know for himself the difficulty being faced by the tribal community, before granting permission for the bituminous road.