The everyday reality of residents in Nakamamudi Panchayat of Korakonda block in Malkangiri district, where individuals drive roughly 60 to 70 miles to reach their own panchayat office, contrasts sharply with the promised ease of basic facilities at the doorstep under the Panchayati Raj system.
The panchayat is one of the largest in the district by size, spanning 52 tribal villages and home to nearly 11,000 people, but locals claim they are still unable to access even the most basic government services.

A trip to ground zero paints an image of loneliness. According to sources, locals spend several days traveling over rugged terrain or crossing rivers on country boats in order to get to a government office or pick up subsidized PDS rice because there is no regular transportation, no Lakshmi bus services, and no road connectivity in the core regions.
In order to illustrate how a basic government entitlement becomes intolerably costly when travel, food, and missed workdays are taken into account, locals compare their struggles by pointing out that a commodity that costs Rs 6 now costs Rs 9.
The distance to the head office is more than 70 kilometers. We won't arrive before evening, even if we begin in the afternoon. According to a local, "people have to stay overnight just to file a complaint."Despite being liberated from years of Maoist influence, residents of Anguraguda and nearby villages claim that they still lack even the most basic amenities. Many lament that the promise of decentralized governance has not been met by development.
Even after 75 years of freedom, there hasn't been much progress for the local tribes. Another local villager stated, "PWD has hardly made any progress."
A Sarpanch Without a Door
The situation of the woman chosen to head the panchayat in Nakamamudi highlights the discrepancy between official policy and actual life. According to ground reports, Sarpanch Laxmi Muduli, who is currently in her fourth year of service, resides in a mud hut with only a temporary wooden plank serving as a barrier and no main entrance.

We have 19 wards and 52 villages. Despite the distribution of rice at three locations, residents still have to travel great distances, frequently by boat. Muduli told OTV, "There isn't a proper road."
The majority of households in hilly areas rely on marginal agriculture, according to locals, and jobs are hard to come by. People maintain that the only way to make government relevant is to divide the panchayat because important welfare advantages arrive later.
The Administration Recognizes the Problem
In response to persistent calls for the panchayat to be divided, Malkangiri Additional District Magistrate Bedabar Pradhan stated that although the administration will formally address the issue, basic services will continue to be the primary priority."There is just one road that enters the panchayat through Bayapada, and it was constructed only a year ago. Due to mountain crossings, the trip still takes 80 km even though it passes through every settlement. The division of a panchayat is a procedure. We'll let the government know, but first we need to make sure that basic facilities are there," Pradhan said.