Rayagada: A remote village amid dense forests in the Maoist-hit district has finally got a bus service into the village on Friday, seven decades after Independence.

Panichatra, Odisha's last village on the border with Andhra Pradesh, around 50km from the district headquarters town under Katikona panchayat in Kolnara block, never had public transport.

"Introducing the bus service to Panichatra was part of the administration's exercise to strengthen infrastructure at the district's remote villages. Apart from providing better transportation facilities, the service will certainly boost economy in the tribal communities," said district collector Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar, who inaugurated the service at Kotokona.

She said the village's geographical location, nestled on a hilltop, was a difficulty task.

"However, we constructed a bridge and improved roads that were in a deplorable state on a priority to make it fit for the service," the collector said.

The 40-seater bus run by the Odisha State Transport Corporation is expected to benefit residents of around 60 villages in five panchayats.

Villagers said better movement of people from villages situated in the bordering area to the district headquarters town would reflect in socio-economic development of the tribal communities.

"We are delighted with the introduction of the service in our area. Earlier, villagers had to trek several miles to reach Mukundpur to catch auto-rickshaws to Rayagada. Now, we can also transport our produce to sell it in the urban markets," said Kolnara block chairperson Gita Kondagiri.

Rayagada regional transport officer Dilllip Kumar Dalai said buses would run two times a day from Rayagada to Panichatra and make a night halt at Panichatra.

The administration also organised a health camp at Katikona on Friday with thousands of villagers getting treatment free of cost.

"Apart from treating the villagers, we organised an awareness camp at Katikona where the villagers were made sensitised about various government programmes," the collector said.

She said district officials also took note of grievances from the villagers at the camp.

"Most of the villagers complained about the absence of safe drinking water at villages and construction of roads. The grievances will be addressed on a priority basis," she said.