Villagers threaten to boycott the poll

By  Akshya Rout

Jajpur, Feb 2: Large numbers of  tribal people of Chingudipal Gram Panchayat under Sukinda block of the district  have threatened poll boycott over  non- issuance of land patta  to the locals and non- supply of drinking water in the  villages.

Non- availability of drinking water, bad roads and non- issuance of land pattas  have  become an election issue for people of the surrounding seven villages, who have now demanded that the authorities  fulfill their demands  or be prepared for a poll boycott.

The rampant pollution from  some illegal stone quarries   is also one of the reasons for us to boycott the poll, said Abhi Munda of Chingudipal.

The district administration assured us umpteen times to grant land pattas in respect of our land. But the officials have yet to fulfill our demands. Five years back, the officials dug three  tube -wells in  village Natora. But three years back all the three tube -wells turned defunct for which we are depending on the nearby river and a well to collect water for which we decided to boycott the coming rural poll, said Sabhu Munda of village Kendupada.

Under the Forest Right Act , we are entitled to pattas in respect of our land but the officials and ruling party leaders betrayed us by not granting pattas. As a result we vowed  to boycott the poll, said Abhiram Jaraka of village Podaghar.

The officials are hand-in- glove with illegal stone quarry mafias who have been denuding stones from the hillocks by doing air and water pollution in the villages for which voters decided to boycott the poll, said Nandini Munda of Kendupada.