Baripada: Disappointed with unfulfilled promises some locals on Monday pledged to boycott the forth coming Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections in their area in Mayurbhanj district.
According to reports, voters of ward no 13 and 15 of Purunapani village under Basipitha Gram Panchayat of Khunta block in Baripada constituency of the district had a meeting yesterday during which they decided not to allow voting in their respective wards.
The locals alleged that their wards, having 700 families with more than 90 per cent of them tribals, were not included in the last Social Economies Caste Census, following which they were deprived of getting pucca houses under different schemes of the state and central governments.
They claimed to have drawn the attention of the local politicians and the district collectors time and again; however, their request went unheard.
“There are around 700 families in our wards. All most all of us are tribals. However, none of us have got a pucca house under the government schemes because our wards were not included in the Social Economies Caste Census. Often we had informed the concerned officials and local political representatives about our problems. However, never they minded us. The politicians are coming to us only during the election to seek votes. They promise us to address our issues, but they never turn back after winning the election. Therefore, we have decided to boycott the forthcoming election in our wards,” said Durlabh Mumar Patra.
Adding to Patra’s allegation, another resident of the village Parbati Bindhani said, “We are living in broken thatched houses ever since we began living here. Even though we deserve, we are not getting pucca houses as we are yet to be included in the Social Economies Caste Census. Besides, there is no development at all.”
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