Northeast Scoop Exclusive
In Assam’s Garbhanga Reserve Forest, just 28 kilometers from the state capital of Dispur, lies a forgotten world of hardship and neglect. Here, 18 villages, home mostly to the hardworking Karbi community struggle every day without the basic necessities that any government worth its salt should provide. While neighboring Meghalaya’s border villages glow with reliable electricity and modern facilities, Assam’s side remains in darkness with broken promises and crumbling infrastructure. This is not just a story of rural woe, it’s a damning expose of the Assam government’s utter failure to deliver on governance, rural development, healthcare access and electricity supply in these forest villages.
The Assam government, under the watchful eye of its leaders, has turned a blind eye to these 18 villages for decades. Despite being so close to Dispur, where politicians make grand speeches about progress, the residents of Garbhanga live like second-class citizens. Basic electricity is a distant dream for most. Only four villages have some solar facilities, but even those are a joke, many solar lights are not working, leaving people in pitch-black nights. In the other villages, there’s no electricity at all. How can a government claim to be developing the state when entire communities are forced to live without power? This isn’t just negligence; it’s a criminal oversight that traps families in poverty and isolation. 
Take the words of Bhula Bonjang, a local resident who has seen enough of this misery. Speaking to Northeast Scoop, he exposed the harsh reality: “We have problems here for schools, colleges, roads and all. We do not get any facilities. As in time, we do not get any things. We 18 villages. In 1960, there has been a school. Till now, nobody has completed higher education till now.”
The Assam government has failed to build on that single school from 1960, denying education to countless young minds. No colleges, no proper schools, it’s as if the government wants these people to stay uneducated and powerless.
Education isn’t the only casualty. The medical situation in Garbhanga is nothing short of a scandal. There’s a hospital or what passes for one but doctors only show up two days a week, if that. As far as the information goes, this irregular attendance leaves villagers vulnerable in emergencies. Bhula Bonjang shared a heartbreaking personal story that exposes the government’s disregard for human life.
“In the month of October, my wife suffered… and they did not have even pressure machine. It came after one night when I arranged for it myself. And after that, the government doctor came. Imagine… I managed the machine myself after I contacted my relatives in Gorchuk.” This is outrageous. A man has to beg relatives for a basic blood pressure machine because the Assam government can’t be bothered to equip its own health center? And the doctor only arrived after Bhula took matters into his own hands. What kind of healthcare system is this?
Bhula’s sister, who works as an ASHA in the area, echoes his despair. She told him : “No facilities is there in the hospital.” ASHA workers are supposed to be the frontline of rural health, but even they are handicapped by the government’s failures. No medicines, no equipment, no support, it’s a setup designed to fail.
When Northeast Scoop explored the villages, the neglect was staring us in the face. The hospital was locked up tight, a silent symbol of abandonment.
“The answer to when doctors come here is very hard. That question to answer is when they come, we don’t know. They come on their own wish.”, Bhula said.
Doctors treating their duties like a hobby? This is the height of irresponsibility, and the blame falls squarely on the Assam government for not enforcing accountability. For serious cases, villagers have no choice but to trek to Azara Medical Center, often in dire conditions without ambulances or proper roads. No primary healthcare, no ambulance, no support; this is how the government treats its own people in emergencies. It’s a recipe for tragedy, and the leaders in Dispur should hang their heads in shame.
The physical state of the hospital tells its own sorry tale. As our team saw the facilities, the bathroom was under construction, and nothing was built properly. The local resident said: “This is the condition of the hospital which is now gradually becoming jungle.” Overgrown weeds, unfinished work, it’s turning into a wilderness because no one cares. The incomplete bathroom construction is proof that doctors don’t come regularly; why finish it if the place is barely used? This decay didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of years of government inaction.
A plaque on the hospital wall stands as a sad reminder of promises that were never kept.It reads: “The Honorable MLA of the West Guwahati constituency, Shri Ramendra Narayan Kalita, inaugurated the Garbhanga Sub-Health Centre, which was constructed using funds from the Twelfth Finance Commission, on December 30, 2009.”
Inaugurated in 2009, and now, in 2026, it’s a locked-up ruin. What happened to the funds? Where is the maintenance? The Assam government allocated money back then, but clearly, it wasn’t followed up with any real commitment. This plaque isn’t a mark of achievement; it’s evidence of failure.
The electricity woes are just as infuriating. In these 18 villages, power is a luxury most can’t afford. Take Ulubari village, right on the Assam-Meghalaya border. The solar panel that the government provided is not working, leaving the area in darkness. But cross over to the Meghalaya side and it’s a different world. Meghalaya villages always shine bright with electricity, thanks to their government’s efforts. Facilities abound there are proper power supply, roads and more. On the Assam side, there’s darkness everywhere. This contrast is a slap in the face to Assam’s rulers. Why can Meghalaya provide for its people while Assam lets its border villages suffer? It’s not about resources; it’s about will. The Assam government has the funds and the authority, but it chooses neglect. This border inequality raises serious questions about governance in Assam, where rural development seems to stop at the state line.
Even the roads, those vital lifelines for any community, are a mess. When looking at the road that leads to the hospital, another plaque catches the eye. It states: “An information board at the site states that the road is being constructed from the Garbhanga Sub Centre under the 15th Finance Commission for the financial year 2023–24. The project falls under the Rani Anchalik Panchayat and is being implemented by the Rani Development Block. The work is located in the Azara East area, with an estimated project cost of Rs 5,16,800. The board, however, does not mention the dates of commencement and completion of the work.” Sounds impressive on paper, right? But look at the actual road: it’s a kaccha path, muddy and uneven, nothing like what Rs 5 lakh should buy. It doesn’t look like any real work was done. Where did the money go? Corruption? Mismanagement? Whatever it is, the Assam government is responsible. This poor condition shows the complete failure of infrastructure development. Villagers can’t even reach the hospital without struggling through this sorry excuse for a road.
Garbhanga Reserve Forest, perched on the Assam-Meghalaya border, is supposed to be a protected area, but its 18 villages are anything but protected from hardship. People here live without basic electricity, healthcare, and road connectivity. On the Meghalaya side, villages hum with power supply and facilities, while on the Assam side, darkness and neglect continue unchecked. Although solar lights were installed in some spots, most are defunct, gathering dust like the government’s promises. The Garbhanga Health Sub-Centre exists in name only—doctors do not come regularly, villagers are not informed about schedules, and even till 2025, a simple BP machine was unavailable. Imagine that: in 2026, still no basic equipment, forcing people like Bhula to scramble for help.
The road to the health center was supposedly built, but its pitiful state exposes the sham of these projects. In medical emergencies, villagers are left high and dry, no primary healthcare, no ambulance, no support from the state. This ground report by Northeast Scoop uncovers the ugly truth of border inequality between Assam and Meghalaya. It raises piercing questions about the Assam government’s handling of rural development, forest villages, healthcare access, and electricity supply. Why are these Karbi communities treated like outsiders in their own state? Why has the government allowed this decay since the 2009 inauguration? Why invest in solar panels that don’t work and roads that crumble?
The answers point to a deeper rot: a government more interested in elections than elevation. The Assam administration has poured funds into plaques and announcements, but not into action. Take the Twelfth Finance Commission funds for the health center: wasted. Funds from the 15th Finance Commission for the road were wasted.. Solar facilities in four villages.. Broken. No electricity in the rest. Schools stagnant since 1960, with no one reaching higher education. Hospitals locked, doctors whimsical, bathrooms unfinished, the whole place turning to jungle. Bhula’s wife’s ordeal, the ASHA worker’s complaints, the locked doors our reporters saw, all scream for accountability.
This isn’t just about Garbhanga; it’s a symptom of statewide failures. The Karbi people deserve better, but the government denies them even the basics. While Dispur shines with lights and leaders’ luxuries, 28 km away, darkness reigns. Meghalaya’s success next door makes Assam’s failure even more glaring. How long will this continue? The people of these 18 villages can’t wait forever.
The school from 1960 shows what could have been but never happened. No upgrades, no teachers, no path to colleges. The government claims to promote tribal welfare, but here, Karbi youth are stuck in a cycle of illiteracy and limited jobs. This is deliberate neglect, keeping border communities weak. Roads are another sore point; kaccha paths that turn to slush in rains, isolating villages further. The Rs 5,16,800 road project? . No start or end dates on the board means no oversight, easy for funds to vanish.
Healthcare horrors abound. Locked hospitals, irregular doctors, no equipment till 2026; the list goes on.
Electricity inequality stings the most. Ulubari’s defunct solar panel versus Meghalaya’s bright lights; it’s humiliating.
This report demands answers. The Assam government has failed on governance, development, healthcare, electricity and everything.
The people of Garbhanga deserve light, health, roads, education and not excuses.
