Village Pandola questions Madhya Pradesh proclamations on human development

Village Pandola, District Sheopur, is located in the northern part of state of Madhya Pradesh, in the central part of India.

The village is about fifteen kilometers radius of the district head quarter and today faces challenge when impacts development of children and women in the district.

It has seen times changing. There used to be time in eighties when village was plush with water. Water was not an problem sufficient quantity was available for irrigation and for drinking. That was eighties… People used to grow fennel here, weaving was another profession they were engaged in. Village was counted in the category of prosperous villages. As state took its stride towards development but forgot Pandola. It got left behind on the many developmental fronts.

Today it suffers with water shortage. Empty ponds, without water can been seen and have been like this for more than five years. Water in taps in wards comes for about half an hour, if it comes and water pressure is quite low. Hand pumps and tube wells are main source of water. As they dry up, people ‘dig and bore’ the ground further.

Development has been there, but on official records. There have been number of proclamations, both political and by the state machinery. Many of them got headlines in district media. But many of the schemes either have not yet started, even some did, they are lying unfinished.

Village Sarpanch, Nenka is a tribal. He is not uneducated but wants the children of the village to be educated. Nenka realizes its importance and emphatically points out the need of education and says it is most needed. But where can children get education is a question which needs answer?. Village has three primary schools and one middle school, but not with adequate teachers and infrastructure. Village has a high school which was opened four years back but till date does not have its own building. It neither has adequate number of teachers, nor has any science and computer laboratory which is must as per the state norms? One can imagine about the condition of the school and its education standards. There was a proclamation that one school for girls will be opened but nobody knows when ?

Village has just one sub primary health centre and an Ayurvedic hospital. One out of two positions in sub health centre is lying vacant. Medicines are always in shortage and ayurvedic hospital started fifty years back still is in rented building. District suffers with major issue like growing malnutrition among children, high number of maternal and neo natal and infant deaths. Road was to be constricted about two years back but still is lying unfinished. If this is condition of the village just fifteen kilometers of the district head quarter and which as prosperous one upon a time what must be the condition of other 532 villages in 219 gram panchayts of the district is a question still remains unanswered ?