Bereft Of Basic Amenities, Odisha Villagers Decide To Boycott Panchayat Polls

The residents of Siba Shankar sahi under Mandua panchayat in Keonjhar district have decided to boycott the forthcoming three-tier Panchayat elections in Odisha if their basic amenities, including potable water and motorable road, demands are not met.

The irate villagers staged a protest and decided not to franchise their votes in the elections citing that their long-standing demands are yet to be fulfilled by the elected representatives.

"Though hundreds of families are living in the village, basic facilities like potable water and motorable road are still a distant dream for us," alleged a villager.

“We have been demanding for the construction of a motorable road to our village. But, all our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. If our demands are not met at the earliest, we will definitely boycott the polls,” said Chandra Mohan Mahanta," a local resident.

Another local, Bhama Behera said, “Our locality has a very poor drainage system. Even after a brief spell of rain, we have to wade through knee-deep water. We have been requesting the administration to take necessary action. But, it seems, they are least concerned.”

"We have been demanding the supply of piped drinking water since long as the lone hand pump is not sufficient to cater to all the families. Political leaders come during the polls and beg for votes. But this time, we are not going to get carried away by their fake promises," said another local.