In a rare display of grassroots administration, Sarat Kumar Mallik, the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Daspalla, drew widespread attention after trekking nearly five kilometres through muddy, inaccessible roads on Wednesday to reach remote villages in Nayagarh district, Odisha.

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The official visit covered Bada Sikharpanka and Dhundugadia villages under Nuagaon panchayat, where residents have long struggled with poor infrastructure and a lack of government services.

Located in a forested and isolated region, the villages face severe connectivity issues, inadequate healthcare, limited educational facilities, and irregular electricity supply. Ambulances often cannot reach these areas due to the absence of motorable roads, forcing villagers to carry seriously ill patients on makeshift stretchers for up to 10 kilometres to access medical care. Tragically, residents say several people have lost their lives en route to hospitals, including a young woman just two days ago.

The villages also lack an Anganwadi centre, depriving children and mothers of essential nutrition and early education. Over 100 residents survive mainly by collecting forest leaves and making leaf plates for a livelihood. Power supply, though technically available, is reportedly irregular, sometimes reaching homes only once a month.

During his visit, the BDO interacted directly with villagers, checking on the availability of government benefits, pensions, and ration supplies, while listening carefully to their grievances. Traversing forests and rivers on foot, he documented the issues and assured residents that steps would be taken to address long-pending problems.

The visit has instilled cautious hope among villagers, who had previously boycotted elections due to frustration with unfulfilled promises. Many expressed appreciation for the BDO’s personal efforts to understand their hardships firsthand, marking a rare instance of proactive governance in remote Odisha.

“This Sikharpanka village is located around 80 kilometres away from Daspalla. They live surrounded by forests and hills and are facing many difficulties. This is the first time I’ve come here, and the people’s suffering is immense. I will definitely try to find a solution for how this can be resolved,” the Daspalla BDO said while speaking to OTV.

“People have an acute water problem, and water facilities will be provided. Arrangement of the Anganwadi centre will be made for the children to study. I will also make arrangements for people to receive their old-age pensions and allowances, and for how they can get PDS ration rice,” BDO Sarat Mallik added.