CHAPTER- VIII

TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION

Deogarh district, which was a larger part of the former feudatory state of Bamanda, despite its cultural heritage and largely benevolent ruler, was considered inaccessible and derived the near-derogatory epithet „Akhoj Bamanda‟, akhoj being impregnable or inaccessible. This was due to the hostile terrain and difficult or almost nonexistent surface communication system. In course of time and with expansion of pliable all-weather roads and the advent of mechanised transport system now Deogarh district is approachable from all sides making easy movement of man and material.

Evolution of Transport and Communication system in the District

During the princely rule, people usually travelled on foot and the aged, infirm and women who could afford by bullock-cart. Transportation of commodities was either by head-load, shoulder dual-sling baskets locally known as „bhar‟. Even children covering distant places used to have such joy rides on both sides of the dual-sling contraption hanging from a bamboo pole for balance from the shoulder of the bharua, the „carrier‟. Distant travel was rare, unless it was for pilgrimage, festivities, and other social or family ritualistic, requirement and for matters of governance and of the state. The royals and affluent were travelling on horses, horse-drawn carriages, elephants, palanquins, „dolis‟, etc. on land and by boats of various utility in water ways. There were no bridges worth the name over rivers or rivulets. In some cases, fair weather roads were laid during dry months for crossing the rivers. In phases, bicycle and automobiles of various types and utilities arrived for personal and public use to meet needs of travel and transportation.

Raja Sir Basudeb Sudhal Deb purchased a motor car named the

„Penada‟ in the year 1903, that being the first automobile to arrive in Bamanda state. Running on kerosene, the car was used for the Royal family members and the State guests. Thereafter, Raja Satchidananda Tribhuban Deb started the „Bamanda Motor Service‟, a public transport company in the year 1914 at the capital town Deogarh. The king sent two artisans who were adept at mechanics, Bithal Nayak and Kanhyai Karigar to Calcutta (now Kolkata) for training in driving and minor automobile repair skills. They were followed by Mohan Deb, Gangadhar Deb and Narahari Karigar who received training in driving from the French Motor Company, Kolkata. This event was published in the „Sambalpur Hiteisini‟, a magazine coming out

Old time trade routes in the District

The Bengal District Gazetteers in its „Feudatory States of Odisha‟ part written by L.E.B Cobden-Ramsay, I.C.S and first published in 1910 in Chapter-III, describes about the state of surface communication prevailing then in the Bamra State in the following manner.

“There is a good road from the Bamra railway Station on the Bengal Nagpur line to Deogarh, the headquarters, about 58 miles in length. This road carries a considerable amount of the large sleeper traffic of the state, especially from Sirid. The road continues from Deogarh as a fair surface road to the Talcher border: from Deogarh to Balam is a good road 11 miles in length on which there is one steel girder bridge. The old Sambalpur- Midnapore road traverses the state. This road is no longer of the importance if formerly was as the direct means of communication with the state: it is, however, bridged throughout the State over the small streams by rough, but strong, timber trestle bridges. The village roads are fair surface roads, and there is a road from Deogarh to the border of the Rairakhol state running on to Rampur, the headquarters of that State. The Bengal-Nagpur Railway passes through the north-eastern corner of the state with two stations, Garpos and Bamra, within its borders. The Brahmani river forms a means of communication for small open boats, but the presence of rocks and rapids renders the transport of goods on any large scale impossible. There are rest houses at Bamra Station, Kuchinda and Sirid. A telephone line runs from Bamra railway station to Deogarh and from Deogarh to Barkut, the headquarters of the tahsil (subdivision) of that name and to Sirgira. The Imperial post plies in the State, with sub-post offices at Bamra, and Deogarh and branch post offices at Kuchinda and Barkut, and letter boxes in school houses at the principal villages. There is a telegraph office at Bamra.” Though in brief, this account by Mr. Ramsay-Cobden gives a fair account of not only the surface transport system by road, rail and waterways, but also about the post, telegraph and telephone systems prevalent in the Bamanda (Bamara) State.

After independence and with the merger of Bamanda state with Odisha road communication system improved to a great extent. Both the Government of India and the state government focused on expansion of the road network in Deogarh, which was a Sub-Division of Sambalpur district. Among the roads are National Highways (NH), State Highways (SH) and Major District Roads (MDR). In addition there have been roads built and maintained by Rural Development Department, Gram Panchayats under Panchayati Raj Department, and minor village roads locally named as

„Dharsa‟. With the introduction and implementation of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana several Gram Panchayat and „Dharsas‟ have been made all- weather roads with proper cement concrete surfacing with minor culverts and bridges wherever they did not exist in the past. The forest department maintains roads within the reserved forest area, which in turn connect to Major District Roads and village roads facilitating movement of forest personnel, villagers, equipment and material for forest maintenance and commercial harvesting of major and minor forest produce.

National Highway (NH) Network

National Highway- 49: This road runs between Dhudikhol to Thianal area via Deogarh, Balam, Kandhal, Barkote and Kalla. The length of the road within the district is approximately 90 kms.

National Highway- 53: This road within the district runs between Banjari to Budhapal area via Tileibani, Reamal and Kundheigola for an approximate distance of 93 kms.

          National Highway-143: This road within the District runs between    Barkote to Rajamunda area via Purunapani for an  approximately 30 kms.

Road Transport Organization in the District

Regional Transport Office of Deogarh district was created in the year 2009. Even after on 1^st January 1994 Deogarh became an independent district separated from Sambalpur. From 2009, registration of vehicles, collection of revenue on account of transport and enforcement of provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act relating to vehicles of various types of Deogarh district was being supervised by the Regional Transport Office ,Deogarh.

The following table gives details of vehicles of different categories registered with the Regional Transport Office, Deogarh between 2009-10 to 2024-25.