Gorakhpur. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will reach Vantangiya village, Jungle Tikonia number three in Kusamhi forest on Sunday to share the happiness of Diwali. The Chief Minister celebrates Diwali with Vantangiya families in this village every year. There is an atmosphere of excitement in the village regarding his arrival. The villagers are busy cleaning, painting and decorating their houses. The administration has also intensified preparations for the welcome and event.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of 52 development projects costing Rs 82.41 crore. Prominent among these are the construction of interlocking road connecting Vantangiya village to the main road, eco park in Kusamhi forest and global city market in Pipraich. Yogi Adityanath, when he was the successor of Gorakshpeeth and an MP, had started the tradition of celebrating Diwali with Vantangiya families, which he continued even after becoming the Chief Minister.
Vantangiya community remained deprived of civic facilities for a century
During the British rule, Sakhu trees were cut on a large scale to make railway sleepers. Poor landless laborers were settled in forest areas to redevelop the forests. For this, Myanmar's Tangiya method was adopted. The people who took care of the plants in the forests using this method were called Vantangiya. In the year 1918, their settlements were established in five areas of Kusamhi forest.
Even after the country's independence, the Vantangiya community remained deprived of basic facilities and civil rights for a long time. These families living in the forest faced the threat of eviction. Facilities like education, health and employment were also not available.
Change started from education and health facilities
After becoming MP from Gorakhpur in 1998, Yogi Adityanath raised the problems of Vantangiya settlements prominently. He started efforts to provide education and health services. Work in this direction started in Jungle Tikonia number three from the year 2003. Facilities were provided to the villagers through the institutions of Maharana Pratap Education Council and the mobile medical service of Guru Shri Gorakshanath Hospital.
For the education of Vantangiya children, a temporary school was constructed in the village in the year 2009. Despite the Forest Department's objection and lawsuit, efforts continued. Today the school run in the name of Gorakshanath Hindu Vidyapeeth is providing education to the children of the area.
Picture changed after getting the status of revenue village
After becoming the Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath took steps towards giving the status of revenue village to Vantangiya villages. This opened the way for the families of the community to avail the benefits of government facilities like housing, roads, electricity, drinking water, ration, cooking gas and pension. Infrastructure facilities expanded in Vantangiya villages of Gorakhpur and Maharajganj. Children started getting education in schools and families were linked to various government schemes.
Ramganesh, resident of Jungle Tikonia number three, says that earlier no one used to pay attention to the problems of the people of the community. According to him, due to the efforts of Yogi Adityanath, facilities like permanent houses, toilets, electricity, land for farming and schools for children have been provided in the village. He says that now the people of the village wait for the arrival of the Chief Minister on Diwali and without him the festival seems incomplete.
52 projects will give impetus to development
The Chief Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of a total of 52 projects worth Rs 82.41 crore. These include the laying of foundation stone of 26 projects worth Rs 77.97 crore and inauguration of 26 projects worth Rs 4.43 crore. Construction of an interlocking road from Rajahi intersection to Pipraich road via Jungle Tikonia number three is also proposed. About Rs 3.65 crore will be spent on this. This will provide convenience in transportation to Vantangiya families.
Eco park will be built in Kusamhi forest, Pipraich will get market
On the occasion of Deepotsav, the Chief Minister will lay the foundation stone of Eco Park to be developed at a cost of Rs 4.84 crore in Kusamhi forest and Global City Market to be built at a cost of Rs 1.91 crore in Pipraich Nagar Panchayat. Other facilities including Swiss Cottage will be developed for tourists in the Eco Park. At the same time, the creation of the Global City Market is expected to boost local business activities.