Narikurava families at the Devarayaneri Colony on the outskirts of the city were reluctant voters on Monday as they felt aggrieved over the neglect of their colony by those in power.
“We have been voting without fail in every election. But nobody bothers to take care of our requirements. We have a bus halt on the highway in front of our colony but no mofussil bus stops here. There is an overhead tank, but there is no regular water supply. The main road in the colony was laid over a decade ago,” said Shekar, one of the colony residents complained to visiting media persons.
Most families eke out a livelihood by selling hand-made trinkets. The colony with nearly 1,000 voters lacked basic amenities over the past 10 years, and repeated representations to authorities have not led to any action, they said.
The failure of the authorities to provide a halt to mofussil buses in front of the colony is their main grouse. “Our women are the most affected. The sick and pregnant women have to trek or have to be taken in two-wheelers to hospital,” said Julie, another resident. The residents complained that the town bus services were very few to the locality and mofussil crew do not heed their pleas to halt at the colony. “We only face insults from the crew,” she said.
The residents said they had to draw water from a few households which had borewells in the colony. Despite airing a slew of grievances, most of them said they would definitely vote.
