Bhatli: Two families at Rasali village under this block in Bargarh district were ostracized after they refused to abide by the poll boycott directive by the village committee and went out to cast votes in this election, a report said Saturday.
Seven members of the two families had to face the wrath of the villagers as they did not pay heed to the poll boycott call and cast their votes at government high school at Tarakana village three km from their village.
The villagers convened a meeting April 18 where they ostracized the two families and debarred them from using fire and water in the village. The district administration is aware of the development but is yet to step in to resolve the dispute.
Sources said the villagers were demanding a separate booth in the village as the booth in nearby Tarakana village is about 3 km from their village. The village having 290 voters alleged that it was difficult for them to travel such long distances in scorching summer to cast their votes in the booth.
They lodged several complaints with the block development officer and the district administration in the past but to no avail.
Left with no option, they decided to boycott the polls. The district administration rushed officials to the village who assured them to put up a booth in their village. However, the promise of a separate booth in the village never became a reality.
The villagers were also given slips before the election but the whole village boycotted the poll while members of the two families went to Tarakana village and exercised their franchise.
When contacted, Bikash Sahu, one of the family elders, who voted in the election said the Bhatli BDO had assured them to arrange vehicles to ferry the villagers to Tarakana booth with police protection during his visit to the village.
The villagers told the BDO that they would have no objection if anybody goes to vote in the election for which seven members of the two families visited the booth. He prayed the administration to intervene and provide them justice.
PNN