No road: MP villagers boycotting elections since 2009

, March 27: People in a

in

has not used their voting rights for 10 years !

The residents of Pipraua village in Datia district decided to boycott elections since 2009 in protest against the politicians who have not provided them any basic facilities such as an all-weather road, said a Times of India report.

Although chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had done a bhoomi poojan for laying a road in 2006, nothing was done after that.

"We are fed up with leaders and their assurances and there is no change in the situation even today," said Pitam Sharma, 57, a farmer from the village.

"When we contacted our leader for compensation in the wake of damage to crops, local MLA curtly responded saying you people have not elected me," Sharma alleged.

"Not even a single inch of road was made even after the CM laid foundation stone eight years ago. This time not only us, but residents from 13 villages have also decided to boycott polls," Pipraua village sarpanch Avdhesh Sharma told TOI.

"We have no option. Life is pretty bad here. Such is the condition that pregnant women of the village suffer miscarriage while going to hospital. We see our kids dying," Sharma said.

In the last assembly elections, there were 45 polling booths where zero polling was registered and 43 booths where negligible polling (less than 10%) was registered, said TOI report.

To bring voters to polling booths, electoral officers have decided to launch a special drive. Nodal officer for systematic voter education and electoral participation (SVEEP) programme in the state, Sanjay Singh Baghel said, "Officials have been instructed to visit door to door in these polling booths and motivate people for voting."

Oneindia News