Ranikor, a tale of neglect

SHILLONG: While the capital city of Shillong enjoys a decent public transport system and medical facilities, scores of villages in the state struggle with basic amenities. Things like public transportation, proper healthcare and educational facilities are still a distant dream for them.
Ranikor, a border village in South West Khasi Hills, is one such place. Located near the Indo-Bangla border, Ranikor seems to be a story of neglect.
A teacher of a primary school in the area said that she has to walk for eight kilometers everyday to reach and come back from the school.
“There is no means of public transport in the village. The sufferings become worse during emergency situations when people have to be taken to the PHC for treatment,” she said.
The headman of the village said that the locals depend on the BSF for transportation in case of emergencies. To add to the misery, he said that the roads in the village are in a dilapidated state.
“An ambulance provided by the local MLA is somehow helping the villagers,” he said adding that they have already approached the State Government for introducing at least few vehicles in the area to cater to the public.
Another person, Justine Marak, also a teacher by profession, said that the lives of the villagers would have been full of difficulties  if not for the BSF which has been a great helping hand in the area.
Interestingly, the village has some exotic locations like the Jadugoda River which comes with a beach which can be an attraction for any visitor but the travelers choose to give the place a skip due to the poor connectivity to remote Ranikor.
People in the area say that the village has all the potential to be a favourite tourist destination but the lack of infrastructure plagued by poor and dangerous road deters everyone from visiting the area.