Digital India Reality: Villagers in Raleguda trek miles for basic services amid poor connectivity

Koraput: The much-publicised Digital India mission presents a starkly contrasting reality in Swabhiman Anchal, particularly in Raleguda panchayat in Malkangiri district’s Chitrakonda block.Here, the panchayat office functions from a hilltop, not out of choice, but because it is the only place where a weak mobile network is available. Even the customer service centre (CSC) operates from the same spot.Residents from distant villages trek through rugged terrain for several kilometres — some walking 5 km, others as far as 10 — just to access basic digital services such as Aadhaar linking, ration card updates, and PM-Kisan registration.“We climb the hill carrying our documents because there is no network in our village. This is the only place where we can get our work done,” said Laxmi Khara, a resident of Nuatekpadar village, who walked 10 km with her child to link her Aadhaar with her ration card on Wednesday.Similarly, Laxmi Kiching, a graduate student from Sarkubandh village, said she had to climb Banajholi hill to update her educational records online.

It feels like we are living in the dark age of Digital India, she said.Despite the presence of a mobile tower in the area, it remains non-functional, forcing both govt officials and villagers to assemble on Banajholi hill every Wednesday near the weekly market to carry out official work. The entire panchayat operates from makeshift tents and benches set up under trees, where people queue up to avail essential e-services.Most people who climb the hill do so for services related to PM-Kisan, CM-Kisan, crop insurance, Ayushman Bharat, and e-KYC.Acknowledging the network problem, officials said although a mobile tower of a private operator has been installed in the area, it is yet to become operational.“We set up a temporary office on the Banajholi hill every Wednesday for e-KYC authentication and other digital works, as the hilltop receives mobile signal and becomes a digital hub for the day,” said Ucchab Giri, additional programme officer, Chitrakonda.

“For the convenience of villagers who come here, we have put up a temporary shed as there is no other option,” he added.Swabhiman Anchal comprising 151 villages and nine panchayats was once at the centre of govt attention following the inauguration of the Gurupriya bridge in July 2018, which ended decades of isolation for the cut-off area. After the 2019 elections, around 10,000 smartphones were distributed across the nine panchayats to promote digital inclusion.“After so much focus following the bridge inauguration, govt enthusiasm seems to have faded,” said Nagesh Khara, a villager. “Even during emergencies, we have to walk miles in search of a mobile signal. How can we talk about Digital India when our panchayat runs from a hilltop?,” he added.