CUTTACK: The call for ‘No road no vote’ given by residents of ward nos 1, 2 and 5 of Srikrishnapur gram panchayat in Mahanga block is gaining momentum with villagers vowing to boycott the polls and women standing guard holding sticks to restrict entry of candidates into the locality.
Fed up with the apathy of the administration which is yet to construct a concrete road to the villages in the panchayat, the locals said, politicians make promises before every election and forget them once the polls are over. Though the three wards of Srikrishnapur panchayat are located just 300 metre from Mahanga block headquarters, the administration is yet to construct concrete road to the area. Absence of a motorable road in the area continues to cause hardships for residents by posing a hindrance to movement of ambulances and other emergency vehicles.
Mahanga BDO Bishwa Ranjan Biswas said he would apprise the matter to district election officer. “Necessary steps will be taken for redressal of the villagers’ grievance,” he said.
Similarly, deprived of basic facilities like safe drinking water, anganwadi centre and record of rights (ROR), more than 30 tribal families of underdeveloped Kendugadia village in Karanji gram panchayat under Tangi-Choudwar block too have threatened to boycott the elections.
“Though we have a concrete road which was constructed under Mukhya Mantri Sadak Yojana, there is no anganwadi centre in our village due to which our children are deprived of pre-schooling education and nutrition. Though the state government has provided RORs, the land are in possession of influential land mafia who threaten us whenever we try to reclaim them. The water from the two tubewells dug up by the administration is not fit for drinking as a result of which we fetch water from a bathing pond, “said Maheswar Darai, Dambaru Sinku, Jema Sinku, Rabi Sinku and Tulasi Sinku while threatening to boycott the elections in the locality which comes under Salipur-Tangi Assembly segment.
Karanji Maheswar Mahant said the tribal dominated Kedugadia village has remained neglected since long. While a concrete road has been constructed to improve communication, a survey has already been conducted to provide safe drinking water to the area.