Villagers in Purulia's Jhalda block decide to boycott LS polls

Residents of Madhupur and Bortar villages in Jhalda block have decided to boycott election alleging lack of development in the area. Rajiv Mahato from Bortar says,"We have nothing here no roads, no water, no anganwadi. We demand that govt should solve our problems first.”

Purulia: A day before the sixth phase of polling, nearly 500 residents of Bortar and Madhupur villages have decided to boycott the Lok Sabha poll to register their protest against lack of development in their areas.

The villages located in Jhalda Block no1, Pusti Grampanchayat, are deprived of proper drinking water, water for irrigation, sanitation, primary health care, Anganwadi and roads.

The villagers claimed that on February 22, they submitted a public petition for the development of roadways but the concerned administration asked them to come after completion of ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Reacting to the alleged negligent attitude of the officials towards basic development, the villagers decided to boycott polls.

In 2001, epidemic spread across villages of Purulia's Jhalda Block no 1 claimed several lives. However, the villagers said that the situation has not changed even in 2019.

A villager from Bortar, Rajiv Mahato said, "We have nothing here. No Anganwadi, no roads, and no bridge. Even the senior citizens and widows do not get the money under schemes meant for them. We want development. If the government does not provide us with the basic facilities, then we will not cast our votes."

Another villager Janaki Nag said: "There is not a single bathroom in these two villages. What shall we do? We manage drinking water somehow."

Children of these villages are forced to skip school during monsoon due to lack of proper roads. As there is no proper medical care nearby, patients and pregnant women are forced to travel for minimum 30 kms to get medical help, said the villagers.

Unemployment is another major problem in this region. Due to arid topography of Purulia, water scarcity is always there which severely affects irrigation. Many from the villages have moved to the town in search of their livelihood.

A villager from Madhupur, Robina Mahato said, "This is the first time we are boycotting elections but the government must ponder over why such situations arise at all where villagers are compelled to boycott the greatest festival of democracy."

On May 12, Purulia, Bankura, Bishnupur, Ghatal, Jhargram, Kanthi, Medinipur and Tamluk will go for polling in the sixth phase of ongoing seven-phased Lok Sabha elections.