Even after nearly eight decades of India’s independence, the residents of Suryasen Para, located under East Aralia in Pratapgarh Assembly constituency, continue to be deprived of basic rights such as drinking water, electricity, and proper roads.

Locals allege that despite seven years of the present government’s rule and decades of promises from successive dispensations, no development has reached their village. 

They claimed that they have only received “false assurances” from leaders and public representatives.

“When evening falls, our homes are lit not by electricity but by candles and hurricane lamps,” a villager told reporters, venting his frustration. Though a skeletal road exists on paper, villagers say it is completely unusable. They accused leaders of showing up only during elections to seek votes and then vanishing without addressing their plight.

The villagers, visibly angry while speaking to the media, went so far as to invite the Chief Minister himself to spend a day in their homes to witness their struggles firsthand. “Let him come and stay here. Only then will he understand whether we are made of rhinoceros skin or not,” one resident said bitterly.

The families allege that while leaders are busy building their own houses, they have done nothing for the poor. With temperatures rising and no drinking water supply, they say life has become unbearable. They have urged the state government to take immediate steps to resolve their problems and bring them into the fold of development.