Eight pregnant women from Khaddi Khurd village in Madhya Pradesh 's Sidhi district in an appeal highlighting their plight and drawing attention to civic neglect have turned to online platforms, to demand a paved road for access to nearby hospitals, as their village continues to suffer from the lack of proper connectivity.
The lack of paved roads in Khaddi Khurd village poses serious difficulties for pregnant women, especially in their final trimester, often forcing them to be carried across muddy and uneven paths to access nearby healthcare facilities.
However instead of addressing the issues, the elected leaders chose to respond to demands with dismissal, mockery and deflection.
The latest appeals made by these women is not the first attempt to draw the administration's attention to their plight. Leela Sahu , followed by over one lakh users across platforms, had posted a video in 2023 tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. In it, she remarked, “You made all 29 MPs win from Madhya Pradesh. Can we now get a road?”
After the video went viral, the Sidhi collector and local MP assured quick action. But a year on, the only thing that has progressed is Leela Sahu’s pregnancy, the road remains the same condition and devoid of any development.
In a response shared on Sahu’s ‘X’ timeline, Sidhi MP Rajesh Mishra can be heard reacting to the viral video, saying he will get them picked-up a week before delivery and provide them with required amenities.
“Every delivery has a date. We will get them picked up (Har delivery ki expected date hoti hai. Uske ek hafte pehle hi uthwa lenge)," said BJP MP Rajesh Mishra.
“If she wishes, she should come to us. We’ll provide all facilities, food, water, care. Talking about these things publicly isn’t ideal," he added.
Rather than addressing the year-long plea for a motorable road, the MP sidestepped the issue, "Has such an incident (of delivery issue due to road) ever happened till date? If needed, we have helicopters and aeroplanes. We have ASHA workers. We have ambulances. What's the worry?"
Madhya Pradesh public works department (PWD) minister Rakesh Singh remarked on the issue about potholes on roads saying as long as there will be roads, there will continue to be potholes, while talking to reporters in the state capital Bhopal.
"Jab tak sadkein rahengi, tab tak gaddhhe hote rahenge (as long as there will be roads, there will continue to be potholes). I mean to say that if a road has completed 4 years, with its durability being 5 years, maybe potholes will form after 4 years. But if there is a road that should not have deteriorated for 4 years but is now riddled with potholes within 6 months, then it is wrong. Action should certainly be taken. But I don't think there is any road in the world on which potholes do not appear. No such technique has come to notice of PWD," Singh said, according to news agency ANI.
The remark by the minister didn’t sit well with the opposition. Congress spokesperson Anand Jat said the minister should refrain from making irresponsible remarks and focus on his responsibilities and if he is incapable of it, he should resign.
I think the minister should avoid irresponsible statements and focus on repairing the roads. If the minister can't do so then he should resign," Anand Jat said.
He also accused the BJP state government of corruption, "there is a commission raj across Madhya Pradesh. The way the minister is saying there will be potholes on the roads, it shows that a tradition of BJP's welfare thriving through commissions has begun in his PWD department,” reported ANI.
The lack of paved roads in Khaddi Khurd village poses serious difficulties for pregnant women, especially in their final trimester, often forcing them to be carried across muddy and uneven paths to access nearby healthcare facilities.
However instead of addressing the issues, the elected leaders chose to respond to demands with dismissal, mockery and deflection.
The latest appeals made by these women is not the first attempt to draw the administration's attention to their plight. Leela Sahu , followed by over one lakh users across platforms, had posted a video in 2023 tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. In it, she remarked, “You made all 29 MPs win from Madhya Pradesh. Can we now get a road?”
O sansad @DrRajesh4BJP ji सड़क बनवा देई न pic.twitter.com/6iOWNz7AmR
— Leela sahu (@Leelasahu_mp) July 3, 2025
After the video went viral, the Sidhi collector and local MP assured quick action. But a year on, the only thing that has progressed is Leela Sahu’s pregnancy, the road remains the same condition and devoid of any development.
In a response shared on Sahu’s ‘X’ timeline, Sidhi MP Rajesh Mishra can be heard reacting to the viral video, saying he will get them picked-up a week before delivery and provide them with required amenities.
“Every delivery has a date. We will get them picked up (Har delivery ki expected date hoti hai. Uske ek hafte pehle hi uthwa lenge)," said BJP MP Rajesh Mishra.
“If she wishes, she should come to us. We’ll provide all facilities, food, water, care. Talking about these things publicly isn’t ideal," he added.
Rather than addressing the year-long plea for a motorable road, the MP sidestepped the issue, "Has such an incident (of delivery issue due to road) ever happened till date? If needed, we have helicopters and aeroplanes. We have ASHA workers. We have ambulances. What's the worry?"
Madhya Pradesh public works department (PWD) minister Rakesh Singh remarked on the issue about potholes on roads saying as long as there will be roads, there will continue to be potholes, while talking to reporters in the state capital Bhopal.
"Jab tak sadkein rahengi, tab tak gaddhhe hote rahenge (as long as there will be roads, there will continue to be potholes). I mean to say that if a road has completed 4 years, with its durability being 5 years, maybe potholes will form after 4 years. But if there is a road that should not have deteriorated for 4 years but is now riddled with potholes within 6 months, then it is wrong. Action should certainly be taken. But I don't think there is any road in the world on which potholes do not appear. No such technique has come to notice of PWD," Singh said, according to news agency ANI.
The remark by the minister didn’t sit well with the opposition. Congress spokesperson Anand Jat said the minister should refrain from making irresponsible remarks and focus on his responsibilities and if he is incapable of it, he should resign.
I think the minister should avoid irresponsible statements and focus on repairing the roads. If the minister can't do so then he should resign," Anand Jat said.
He also accused the BJP state government of corruption, "there is a commission raj across Madhya Pradesh. The way the minister is saying there will be potholes on the roads, it shows that a tradition of BJP's welfare thriving through commissions has begun in his PWD department,” reported ANI.
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