Tripura: Villagers threaten to boycott poll for road, water and power in state

As Tripura has geared up for Assembly polls, over 200 voters living in Ward number 3 under Sonamura Nagar Panchayat, have threatened to boycott the election until and unless they get drinking water, road, and electricity.

Sonamura is situated near the Indo-Bangladesh border of the Sepahijala district where the majority of the population is from a minority Muslim community.

Speaking with reporters, the villagers have expressed their anger and said that they would boycott the election as for the last five years they were deprived of proper drinking water, road, and electricity.

“When the vote come they promised us road, water, houses, electricity and so many things but after the vote, they forgot us. It’s been five years since we don’t have a road to communicate. We have to travel long to collect drinking water. How even this is possible?” an agitator told reporters.

While another agitator said that they have met the local civil administration highlighting the issues they were facing since long years but have claimed that the civil administration officials have assured us to fulfill their demand but never visited the spot.

“We have again and again knocked on the door of the administration but no one listened to us. If you see we have no road to communicate. We use a small narrow lane and have to cross other houses for communication purposes. If we don’t get a road how we will communicate and how we will go for a vote? It's better not to cast vote”, said another agitator.

Another man from the village told reporters, “It has been five years that the government is assuring us that they will solve our problems but where are they now? Nobody is looking into us. They don’t have fund issues. They just come give assurance and leave. We will not go to polling stations until and unless we get road, water, and electricity”.

Also read: Tripura: Violence, drugs pulled back the region during CPIM, Congress regime, claims Sarbananda Sonowal