Bhubaneswar, May 20 -- In a rare display of grassroots administration, Sarat Kumar Mallik, the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Daspalla, drew widespread attention after trekking nearly five kilometres through muddy, inaccessible roads on Wednesday to reach remote villages in Nayagarh district, Odisha.

The official visit covered Bada Sikharpanka and Dhundugadia villages under Nuagaon panchayat, where residents have long struggled with poor infrastructure and a lack of government services.

Located in a forested and isolated region, the villages face severe connectivity issues, inadequate healthcare, limited educational facilities, and irregular electricity supply. Ambulances often cannot reach these areas due to the absence of motorabl...