Dagota is a hamlet nestled in a forest area of the Dausa district of Rajasthan with an approximate population of 500. The only way to reach Dagota is through a mountainous trail of more than 10 kilometres of rocky terrain.

Reaching the village is a scary task, as there is only one private bus in the morning. The condition of the road is so poor that people prefer walking to taking their vehicles. During the rainy season, the road becomes so muddy that one cannot even pass through it.

The community demand for construction or repair of the road was neglected by the Sarpanch on the pretext that this village comes under forest areas, hence any construction is not allowed. As per the Forest Conservation Act (FCA), forests are classified as reserved, protected, and villages. Village forests are accorded a certain degree of protection.

Caritas India Saksham, working in the area to ensure good governance, comes to the rescue. The Saksham team mobilised the community and asked them to apply for demanding road construction in their village to the District Forest Officer (DFO). However, road construction was not an easy task.

“We went to the District Forest Officer (DFO) with an application signed by a villager, as suggested by the Saksham team. DFO said he will look into the matter and get back to them,” said Ms. Lali Devi Meena, the Sarpanch of the Panchayat. The villagers waited but received no response from the authorities.

“The villagers once again decided to go to Mr. Gopal Lal Meena, the local Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), with their demands. The Saksham team supported the villagers throughout the process. The MLA also assured me that the work would be done in some time, but nothing concrete happened on the ground,” said the Sarpanch of the village. People were getting anxious as their demands were ignored. Hence, to give mouth to this unrest, the community decided to protest in front of the MLA residence. More than 100 individuals protested there for a whole day. And later, he came out with all his ears to listen to the demands.

The MLA put a word to the DFO, and soon the hamlet was brought under the village forest, where construction of roads for traditional settlers was allowed only if it was for the public good and not for any personal benefit. The road construction started within two months, as promised under the MLA quota. The construction of the 2-km road was completed in 3 months, and during the term, 5 women got employment at a wage of ₹ 300 per day.

“As our demands were ignored multiple times, we hardly expected that this road would be constructed, but finally it did. In addition, the MLA also helped in putting gravel on the remaining stretch of road so as to make the road less bumpy and motorable,” said Mr. Harish, a resident of the village.

“Since the road has been constructed, some have taken out their vehicles, and now children can also ride their bicycles to school,” said Ms. Lali Devi, Sarpanch, with contentment.

The road has transformed the lives of the villagers. They can now access health care, education, markets, and government schemes easily and quickly. They have also gained confidence and dignity as a community.