More gram panchayats (GP) have announced on Friday their decision to boycott the upcoming elections.
Despite efforts by officials to convince residents to participate in the gram panchayat elections, no nominations were filed in Hunsagi Gram Panchayat in Surpur taluk of Yadgir district till May 22, the last date to file nominations.
People of Hunsagi, who wanted to see their GP upgraded as Town Municipal Council (TMC), had decided to boycott all elections when the government upgraded neighbouring Kakkera and Kembhavi GPs.
Hunsagi GP, including Hunsagi tanda and Devapur (J) villages, has 39 members and a population of 14,795 according to 2011 census.
“We will continue with the decision of boycotting all elections — not only for gram panchayat but also all upcoming elections — until the demand is fulfilled,” Naganna Dandin, president of Hunsagi Purasabhe Horata Samiti, told The Hindu over the phone on Friday.
Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer Manoj Jain said a report would be sent to the government for further action.
Hippalgaon in Bidar
Residents of Hippalgaon village in Aurad taluk are angry about the lack of drinking water supply in their area. No nominations were filed until Friday, the last date of filing nominations. The village has around 3,000 people and five gram panchayat members.
“A few years ago, the government announced Swajaldhara, a water supply scheme that officials said would solve our water problems. They collected user contributions for the scheme and started work. But it is yet to be completed,” said Shashikanth Panchal of Hippalgao.
V.R. Patil, a farmer, maintains that this was not a hasty decision. “We told the tahsildar and zilla panchayat officials 11 months ago that we will be boycotting the gram panchayat elections. But no one took notice at the time. Now we have hordes of officials coming to convince us to take part in polls. This is unfair,” he said.
Though Hallikhed Bujurg village in Humnabad taluk had spoken of a boycott earlier, some villagers agreed to contest the polls after receiving assurances from officials.
In the last elections it was the biggest gram panchayat in north Karnataka, with 51 members. The department of urban development selected this village, along with some in other districts, to be upgraded to Town Panchayats.
However, no official order was issued effecting this decision, till the announcement of gram panchayat polls, where it was found that the village was not to be made a town panchayat.
The villagers are upset. “We were elated that we would be an urban local body and more funds and new schemes for development would be available to us. But the government is slow in taking action. We will continue to be a village for the next five years. This could have been avoided if the government acted fast,” said Mohammad Atiq, a resident.
However, the leaders of the village were convinced to participate in the polls after a visit from MLA Rajshekar Patil and some senior officers. Mr. Patil assured them that he would take up the issue with the government. Around 230 nominations have been received for the gram panchayat.
