Bolangir, feb 21: When the rural elections build up long along the rural zones in Odisha, there are yet some villages in the Patnagarh area which look barren, as most of the people have migrated in look for a greener meadow.
Though, after SEC’s serious arrangements in these villages for polls, the booths remained mostly empty. But rather the ballot boxes seem quite filled. This absence of voters has raised serious doubts of surrogate voting in the areas.
Out of 8 zilla parishad zone in the area, some panchayats like Bagdor, Bahabahal, Beheramunda, Belpada, Bharuapali, Dhamabhata, Lathor And Tankapani have hardly few voters including the elderly and physically challenged. Many locals from these areas have migrated in the search for job to other states. And by hook or crook they cannot return just to cast vote. Politics doesn’t feed us, our work do, said a villager.
Talking about this, collector Asis Thakre said, “We have been trying to call the voters to utilize their political rights, but all in vein.”
Works are also being provided to them under MGNREGA and other govt. schemes, he added. But talking about the polling he mentioned, that polling agents are seriously verifying the identification of every voter and we are in full alert to ensure fair polling.
