Tribal Communities Protest Delayed Road Construction in Anakapalli District

Residents of three Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) Khond habitations in the Arla panchayat of Rolugunta mandal, Anakapalli district, staged a protest against the delayed completion of road connectivity projects. The villagers from Losingi, Kotha Singi, and Peddaguruvu, representing a population of approximately 260 people, alleged that funds sanctioned for infrastructure improvements have failed to provide adequate access to their settlements. Specifically, they highlighted that ₹2.5 crore was allocated in 2024 under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for a BT road. Although the project was inaugurated in January 2025, work was abandoned after partial completion, and subsequent heavy rains damaged the temporary structures. Consequently, residents are forced to carry pregnant women and patients on makeshift stretchers to medical centers during emergencies, as ambulances cannot reach the hilltop villages during monsoons. Leaders from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) supported the protesters, demanding the construction of durable cement concrete ramps at steep sections and the immediate completion of the pending road works to ensure reliable access for these vulnerable communities.