Just three kilometres from the internationally celebrated town of Bolpur—where Rabindranath Tagore’s Santiniketan now shines under UNESCO’s ‘World Heritage’ crown—lies Sahebdanga, a tribal village still trapped in stark neglect. The contrast is so sharp that locals often describe their condition as “darkness under a lamp”.
Sahebdanga, under Kankalitala Gram Panchayat, is home to around 180 tribal residents across nearly 50 families. The approach to the village begins with a narrow, crumbling road along a canal—unpaved, uneven and nearly unmotorable. Inside, the lanes dissolve into raw earth. Rows of dilapidated mud houses line the paths, many patched with old saris and sacks to keep out rain and dust.
Here, even the barest essentials of survival remain a luxury.
The entire village depends on just two tube wells—one of which now draws untreated, often contaminated water. This leaves the population leaning on a single functioning tube well for drinking purposes. For bathing, cooking and washing, residents rely on a pond whose water has not been treated in years.
“Look at our taps, most are broken,” said Lakshmi Kisku. “We have to use pond water for everything.” Not a single proper Awas Yojana house stands in Sahebdanga. Two families received funds under the scheme two years ago, but villagers allege that local leaders took “cuts” from the allotted amount, leading to half-built structures abandoned midway due to lack of money.
As the villagers put it bluntly: “Our houses are falling apart. The leaders took the money. We got nothing.” Despite the government’s ‘Nirmal Bharat’ and ‘Nirmal Bengal’ slogans, Sahebdanga has no toilets at all. For the residents here, the idea of sanitation remains distant and unattainable.
Villagers allege a familiar political pattern: around elections, leaders arrive with promises, persuasion, and transport.
“They take us by toto (e-rickshaw) to vote and tell us which symbol to press,” said Sumi Murmu. “Once voting is over, they disappear. Nothing changes in our village.” The Fifteenth Finance Commission sanctioned Rs 32 crore for Birbhum district to build and renovate roads, footpaths and culverts. Funds for 432 footpaths have also been disbursed, and work officially began on November 17.
Yet Sahebdanga has not received a single sign of that development. Not a road. Not a footpath. Not even a partial project. The ruling party repeatedly claims that “development has reached every corner of Birbhum,” but the ground reality in Sahebdanga paints a starkly different picture—one of systemic neglect and administrative apathy.
Bolpur Sub-Divisional Officer Animesh Kanti Manna, newly posted, acknowledged the situation. “I have joined recently. I will look into the matter seriously. We will discuss so that something can be done for that village,” he said.
State Minister Chandranath Singh defended the government, stating, “Nothing happened during the previous Left Front regime. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has consistently developed rural Bengal. There may be shortcomings somewhere, and they will be filled. The central government has stopped funds in many areas, but our government has continued working for development.”
As Santiniketan steps proudly onto the world stage, Sahebdanga waits in silence—without roads, without safe water, without housing, without sanitation. A global heritage site glitters nearby, yet an entire community remains deprived of the most fundamental necessities. Sahebdanga stands as a reminder—development celebrated is not always development delivered.
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