Eight decades after independence, a bus arrived in Balog village – villagers celebrated by distributing laddus

Nearly eight decades after independence, the dream of a bus service in Balog village, located in the Junga tehsil, came true on Wednesday. The villagers were overjoyed when the bus arrived for the first time. People welcomed the bus driver, conductor, and officials of the joint inspection team with garlands and celebrated this historic moment by distributing sweets. The successful trial run of the bus has raised hopes among the villagers that a regular bus service will resume.
It’s worth noting that the Public Works Department has constructed approximately two and a half kilometers of road from the Balog Valley to the village on the Janedghat-Dublu road. ₹2.40 crore has been spent on this road under NABARD. To verify its suitability for bus operations, a team consisting of Deputy Tehsildar Junga Rajendra Thakur, Public Works Department Assistant Engineer Anitendra Kanwar, Junior Engineer Dharmendra Kumar, and HRTC Inspector Dhasu Ram inspected the road in the presence of Panchayat representatives and villagers. After a successful trial, the road was found suitable for bus operation.
On this occasion, senior citizen and former village head Dharam Singh Thakur, village head Manohar Singh, ward members Mahesh Kumar, Joginder Thakur, and Rajiv Thakur, along with other villagers, expressed their gratitude to local MLA and Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh. The villagers said that connecting Balog with road and bus service has been a long-standing demand. The arrival of the bus will strengthen development and transportation facilities in the area.
Former village headman Dharam Singh Thakur explained that the lack of road access had long posed significant difficulties for the residents of Balog village. Besides commuting for daily chores, farmers also faced difficulties transporting their crops to the road. Commuting was also difficult for the sick, the elderly, and students. Now, with the arrival of a bus service in the village, these problems are expected to be significantly alleviated. He added that this is not just the start of a bus service for the village, but also a significant step toward fulfilling a long-standing need.
Panchayat Secretary Naresh Verma, Patwari Shivani Sharma, Panchayat Junior Engineer Jai Kishan Thakur, Panchayat representatives and a large number of villagers were present during the event.