Fakirtilla Ward No. 3, a village nestled approximately two and a half kilometers from Sri Bhumi town within the Medel-Sharif Nagar Gaon Panchayat of South Karimganj constituency, is witnessing an extraordinary display of resilience. For the past fifteen years, a crucial rural road under the village panchayat has remained unconstructed, leaving its residents to grapple with daily hardships.
Driven by sheer necessity, the local populace, primarily daily wage laborers, have embarked on an arduous mission. Compelled by the persistent neglect, they have initiated a donation drive to fund the construction of the very road that serves as their lifeline. Their struggle is compounded by the stark absence of basic amenities such as toilets and access to clean drinking water in the ward.
Adding to their woes, a substantial water treatment plant, erected at a cost of crores of rupees under the Jal Jeevan Mission, stands incomplete due to the conspicuous absence of a water tank. This half-finished infrastructure serves as a stark reminder of developmental promises that have yet to materialize.
The dilapidated state of the road has severely impacted the lives of the villagers. According to local accounts, students have been forced to abstain from attending classes for as long as six months due to the perilous conditions. Faced with the imminent arrival of the monsoon, the determined residents have resorted to manually collecting stones and using mud to make the road traversable.
Their pleas for intervention have seemingly fallen on deaf ears. They recount how the former three-time MLA of North Karimganj constituency, Kamalakash Dey Purkayastha, offered only assurances before the delimitation. The current MLA, Chiddek Ahmed, along with panchayat representatives, has allegedly shown no concern for their plight, despite the government allocating significant funds for panchayat development.
In a desperate appeal, the villagers of Fakirtilla Ward No. 3 have implored the Chief Minister to prioritize the construction of their road, making it suitable for travel, especially after the upcoming panchayat elections. Their collective action underscores a community’s unwavering spirit in the face of prolonged administrative apathy.