Three districts in Odisha have declared a boycott of the upcoming panchayat polls, which will be held in five stages from February 16 to 24.
Reeling under an information blockade of sorts due to lack of cellular connectivity in the absence of a mobile network, villagers of three districts in Odisha have decided to boycott the upcoming Panchayat elections in Odisha.
The villagers complained that a lack of mobile connectivity has deprived them of accessing timely healthcare and online studies for children.
“Throughout the lockdown, our children were unable to attend online classes due to poor network connectivity, and we were unable to contact the 108 ambulance service during medical emergencies due to a lack of mobile signal,” said Ajit Moharana, a local.
Similarly, over 600 people from three villages in the Maoist hotbed of Koraput district’s Pottangi block have threatened to boycott the three-tier panchayat polls in protest against the absence of an all-weather road to their villages.
Residents of Podalguda, Nuaguda, and Dumuriguda alleged that getting to the block headquarters is difficult due to a lack of a proper road.
“Our village lies at a distance of about 9 km from the block headquarters, and no four-wheeler can go to our village in the absence of a road. We face a lot of difficulties in transporting our agricultural produce to urban markets, and it’s a nightmare to shift a patient as ambulances can’t reach the village,” said another resident.
According to the villagers, the road that was constructed a few years back has been completely damaged, and their repeated pleas for a new road have fallen on deaf ears.
Politicians from various political parties make lofty promises during elections, only to disappear after winning,” said Satya Prakash Pati, a villager.
Odisha’s three-tier panchayat elections will be held in five stages from February 16 to 24. While the nomination process is underway, the results will be announced on February 26, 27, and 28.
