The Birsa Munda Memorial Complex lies neglected at Ulihatu. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ulihatu, April 16: Efforts to develop Ulihatu, the birthplace of tribal icon Birsa Munda, are yet to yield results.

Fifty-nine years after Independence and five years since the creation of Jharkhand, when the state can boast of launching an ambitious industrialisation drive, the native village of the leading tribal figure lacks schools, hospitals and banks.

The government has not provided any employment opportunities to the youths in Ulihatu, about 60 km from the state capital under the Khunti subdivision of Ranchi district.

The farmers here, who produce paddy and marua once a year, are far from enjoying good harvests as they are dependent on rainwater for cultivation. A poor spell of rains also does not augur well for them.

The government has turned a blind eye to development and the few projects it had announced have fallen flat.

On November 15, 2003, then deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani had inaugurated the Birsa Munda Memorial Complex with the objective of popularising the tribal leader nation-wide.

But three years later, the complex on which the government had spent approximately Rs 4 crore, wears a neglected and haunted look.

Broken windows, unkempt grounds, haphazard bush growth and ugly, hand-drawn pictures on the walls of this once-ambitious project does not help visitors recollect the worthy deeds of Birsa.

Moreover, the proposed 5-km link road that was to connect the complex with the Khuti-Ulihatu road does not seem to be anywhere in the vicinity of the 10-acre complex, which included a statue of Birsa Munda, the administrative building, hostels, staff quarters, a science museum and a library. The establishment does not even have a boundary wall.

The recreation club and library here, which was established in 2002, ?is never open for the public despite many facilities?, noted John Purty, a septuagenarian and a retired teacher living in the area.

With this status quo, how the government, according to a recent advertisement, plans to begin and run a residential school in the complex by the end of this month remains a mystery.

But what can be ruled out as definitely non-puzzling is that the place and the facilities are far from adequate, keeping in mind the current situation, to house any school. Unguarded premises and the absence of drinking water facilities hardly sounds like a perfect place for a residential school that intends to accommodate 200 primary-level students from across the state.

But welfare minister Ramesh Singh Munda said a certain section of the local people were responsible for defacing the complex. He, however, refused to explain further.

Incidentally, the place has been on the radar of the anti-religious conversion bodies and these organisations are not keen on the school, which is going to be run by the DAV management committee being established here.

Nevertheless, Munda said the face of the village of the tribal icon would be lifted within a month or two ?at any cost?.

?We have sanctioned Rs 22 lakh for the construction of the boundary wall. The residential school will start functioning within 45 days with the help of DAV College management committee. We are also keeping a vigil on those people who intend to disturb the peace of this place and will teach them a lesson, if required,? he added.