KENDRAPARA/JAJPUR:Villagers boycotted elections during the fourth phase of panchayat election across the State on Sunday.
In Kendrapara district, which reported 70 per cent turnout, some supporters of BJD ransacked the house of a Congress supporter Parikhita Dalei and attacked him in Rangani village under Talachua Marine police limits of the district. Dalei has filed an FIR at Talachua Marine PS against Alok Salei, Ambar Dalei, Balaram Mandal, Jayadev Mandal, Makar Dalei, and others alleging assault and ransack of his house. Police are investigating the case, said Trilochan Behera of Talachua Marine police station.
In Tralayakapur village under Rajkanika block voters boycotted the election. “We had decided to boycott the polls to protest lack of basic amenities in our village. We are against the BJD Government which has failed to provide basic infrastructure like roads, electricity and safe drinking water,” said Bijaya Mallick, a villager.
Jajpur: Voters boycotted election in a panchayat that went to election on Sunday. According to reports, people registered at Booth no 11 under Anyaspur gram panchayat of Bari block in the district refrained from voting protesting absence of a road to their village. “There is no road to our village. Though we have been demanding a road to our village for the last several years, nobody has responded yet. Why will we cast our votes and elect leaders who are not listing to us,” said Ranjan Das, a villager. In the fourth phase, election was held in 72 panchayats under nine Zilla Parishad zones of Badachana and Bari blocks in the district. Around 75 per cent polling was recorded in the two blocks, said Jajpur Sub Collector and Returning Officer Narayan Chandra Dhal.
Berhampur: Voters of three villages, Saragi Sahi, Nua Sahi and Jani Sahi under Dabaraguda panchayat in R Udayagiri block of Gajapati district refrained from voting on Sunday. They are protesting the inclusion of their villages in Dabaraguda panchayat after being separated from Chelagada panchayat.
They are demanding that their villages be re-included in the old panchayat. Though booths were opened in the three villages and polling officials were also present none of the villagers turned up. The polling officials had to return with empty ballot boxes after the scheduled polling time.
The villagers have threatened to intensify their protest, if the villages were not brought under the old panchayat. Raghudev Bhuyan of Nuasahi village said, the villagers has decided not to receive the pensions under different schemes as a part of their agitation.