JAGATSINGHPUR: Protesting unavailability of potable water, hundreds of villagers of Dihashyampur and Bibachpur of Garei panchayat under Kujang block prevented Cooperation and Excise Minister Damodar Rout from entering the panchayat for election campaign on Saturday.
The villagers blocked the road preventing the Minister from going ahead. They said women have to walk nearly 2 km to fetch potable water as the tubewells in the villages supply water which is unfit for consumption. Protesting this, the irate villagers decided to prevent leaders from entering their area for campaigning.
On an earlier occasion, the villagers had met Rout and sought his intervention in providing drinking water by installing pipelines. But, Rout allegedly did not initiate any measures leaving the villagers aggrieved.
Villagers called off their stir after Zilla Parishad candidate Manini Behera, Sarpanch candidate Sangram Mantri and panchayat samiti member aspirant Sarojini Barik pacified the villagers and assured to resolve their issues.
Meanwhile, BJD and Congress have stepped up their campaign while BJP is depending on party leaders from Jharkhand to join in election campaign in Ersama to woo the voters.