Vizianagaram: Tribals demand door delivery of ration

S Kota (Vizianagaram): Hundreds of tribals walked through hills, steep surfaces to reach the mandal headquarters and staged a dharna in scorching heat demanding supply of ration at their doorsteps.

On Saturday, the residents of Daraparthi, Pallpu Dungada, Rayipalem and Porlu have walked around 23 km and demanded that the officials deliver the ration at their doorsteps as assured by the government. Actually around 12 villages are located on hilltop and every Friday the residents walk down for some distance from their villages and get the ration at Dabbagunta village.

This is a common practice for them for the past few decades as the villages are located at remote places and no vehicle can reach there. But they demand that the ration vehicles should visit their village and provide the provisions at their doorsteps.

But due to lack of road facility, the vehicles are not reaching there. On Saturday, they reached S Kota and staged dharna. They demanded that the government supply rice and other provisions at their village. The protest led to traffic disruption. Subsequently, tahsildar L Rama Rao pacified them stating that the provisions would be brought near their village. On his assurance, the tribals called off their dharna and returned to their villages.