Marriages deferred for Panchayat elections in Orissa

Koraput, Feb 9 (UNI) Hundreds of marriages have been deferred in Orissa for a fortnight for paucity of vehicles which were either booked for Panchayat election duties or obtained by Road Transport Authority for election purpose.

According to reports, over 2000 vehicles including jeep and cars, had been requisitioned for election duties from February 13 to 21 in the tribal dominated Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri and Rayagada districts.

Inspectors of Transport department were seen in action in all these districts to procure more vehicles for the five phase Panchayat elections beginning from February 13.

This has annoyed hundreds of parents as the fortnight from February 10 to 25 has been considered as most auspicious period for marriage.

With only few vehicles left in the districts for the use of common people, there has been a mad rush by the parents to grab them for the marriage ceremony.

Distressed parents have either succumbed to high fare charged by the taxi owners or rushed to the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Chhattishgarh.

But the tribals who can hardly afford the high price of the vehicles, were forced to postpone the marriage by a fortnight till the elections were over by end of the month.

UNI