No polling in six Koksara booths –
Koksara: Angry over alleged underdevelopment of their area, people of Tunagaon in Kandabutra panchayat and Kuturugaon of Amapani panchayat Sunday boycotted polls at six booths in Kalahandi district.
The people of Kuturugaon have been deprived of drinking water, mobile network, healthcare and proper communication. They did not turn up for voting as a mark of protest.
People of Tunagaon were angry over the panchayat office being set up at Kandabutra. The people of the two villages had agreed to set up the panchayat office at Tunagaon.
But it did not happen. The villagers have moved the court over the issue.
Villagers stop polling party, shun polls –
Baripada: The third phase of the panchayat elections were conducted peacefully in two blocks of Mayurbhanj, Sunday.
However, people of Nursahi of Khanua panchayat under Badasahi block refrained from voting Sunday to protest against lack of basic facilities and development in their area.
According to reports, after polling party reached the village Saturday, the residents did not allow them to open the school door till late Saturday night. As a result, the polling party had to seek accommodation at the panchayat office at night.
The polling party accompanied by a platoon of police force reached the booth in the wee hours of Sunday. The police forcibly broke open the lock and prepared for voting.
However, the villagers did not turn up for voting. They alleged that a primary school of the village has been closed on grounds of poor students’ strength. The villagers had opposed it and taken up the issue with the Collector.
However, no attention was paid to the villagers’ demand. They also lamented that the village lacks a pucca road and drinking water supply.
The villagers staged protests in front of the booth throughout the day and demanded reopening of the school.
Some administrative officials tried to convince the villagers, but they refused to vote. The polling party had to return disappointed.
1,065 voters boycott polls –
Champua/Jhumpura: Peeved over lack of basic amenities, 1,065 voters of Balabhadrapur under Jhumpura block in Keonjhar shunned polling Sunday.
Reports said, after the dates of panchayat elections were announced, the villagers had announced their decision to boycott polls, as they have been deprived of development and government benefits.
The villagers alleged that they are deprived of rural housing, drinking water supply and road connectivity. They had demanded a check dam across Purunapani creek to boost irrigation.
The villagers had several times in the past drawn attention of the people’s representatives and the administration on the need of development, but no step was taken.
Some officials of the administration had approached the villagers to convince them for voting, but the latter were adamant on their stand and refused to exercise their franchise. As many as 1,056 voters refrained from voting.
Three booths in Tihidi ‘rigged’ –
Bhadrak: During the third phase of the panchayat elections, booth rigging was alleged at three places under Tihidi block of Bhadrak, Sunday.
Reports said, locals have alleged that some people did rigging by closing the doors at booth no-24 and 25 in Saya panchayat, even in the presence of police. This incident triggered tension in the area.
At Barikabindha booth of Fatehpur panchayat, polling was stopped for hours due to turbulence. In another case, a woman, who is a former people’s representative, had allegedly rigged Badgal booth in Fatehpur panchayat.
The woman had cast votes on behalf of many women voters. The BJP workers staged protests and later blocked a road, seeking action against the trouble makers.
PNN