Bhubaneswar, July 3 -- Residents of two Odisha villages decided to construct a road all by themselves after years of unsuccessful and repeated appeals to the government. The community-led initiatives were reported from Salepur in Cuttack district and Baliguda in Kandhamal district.

While the self-funded roads brought relief to the villages, the incidents also highlight the alleged lack of timely government intervention in providing basic infrastructure to rural communities.

Road construction is underway through the hills in Budimlika, a remote village in Odisha's Kandhamal district surrounded by forests. After years of unsuccessful appeals for a pucca road, villagers decided to build one themselves, said sources.

Each of the 15 househo...