JAGATSINGHPUR: Trouble may be brewing for Sandhakuda’s Telugu fishermen who have rushed to their native places in Andhra Pradesh to participate in the ensuing panchayat elections. The Jagatsinghpur district administration has launched an investigation to identify persons having dual voter identity cards of Odisha and AP in the slum which houses nearly 5000 fishermen of different districts in the neighbouring State. The move comes in wake of hundreds of fishermen rushing to AP to cast their votes in the rural polls being held in four phases on February 5, 9, 13 and 17.
Official sources said Collector Sangram Keshari Mohapatra has directed the Executive Officer of Paradip Municipality to conduct an inquiry and identify the persons who have enrolled voters in two places by submitting false document. The municipality has formed a team and is conducting meetings with local marketing inspectors, Swachh Sathis and supervisors besides PDS retailers for the survey to identify persons with dual voter ID cards in Ward no 17 and 18 of Sandhakuda.
Sources said the majority of fishermen residing in Sandhakuda are from East Godavari, Vijayanagaram, Srikakulam, Palasa, Ichapuram and Visakhapatnam districts of AP. In the last few days, hundreds of Telugu fishermen have gone to their native villages in AP to cast their votes in the ongoing panchayat elections. Besides, different political parties of AP have even sent buses to ferry these fishermen to their native places to vote in favour of their respective candidates.
Party leaders are even campaigning in Sandhakuda. On Tuesday, hundreds of fishermen left for Danyeapatta panchayat of East Godavari in four buses and trains for the polls as the father of a Sandhakuda resident was contesting as sarpanch candidate. Similarly on February 5, many Telugu fishermen had left for AP while others are preparing to travel to their native places on February 12 to participate in the elections.
Khetramohan Behera, a local, alleged that many Telugu fishermen have voter ID and ration cards in both AP and Odisha. They are enjoying benefits from both the states while genuine beneficiaries are being ignored by the administration. Executive officer of Paradip Municipality Sourindra Routray said the authorities have engaged a team to investigate dual voter ID registration in more than one constituency. After inquiry, steps will be taken to delete the names of persons having two voter cards.
As per section 17 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, no person can be enrolled as a voter in more than one constituency. Similarly, as per section 31, the person shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both for registration of voters in two places by submitting false documents.