Jaladesha villagers to boycott polls

BHADRAK: Continued lip service has Jaladesha villagers decide against voting in the panchayat polls scheduled for Friday.   Literally cut-off from the outside world and surrounded by nullahs of the Montei River, Rampur, Badaitagutha and Sanaithgutha villages of Nalgunda panchayat under Chandbali block lack basic amenities.While the inhabitants of Sanaitagutha and Badaitagutha have decided to boycott the poll, those of Rampur are still weighing their options. Tucked away in a remote corner of the district, these three villages present a sorry tale of negligence over the years.With the promised fair-weather roads yet to see the light of day, commuting to the villages proves to a Herculean task. The bamboo bridges fail to serve their purpose during rainy season when the river is in spate. As a result, the villagers remain stranded for six months.   The absence of proper communication facilities has rendered the primary health centre and schools useless with doctors and teachers finding it difficult to commute to the villages.  The proposed access to piped water supply too is gathering dust.  Bhadrak Sub-Collector Rama Chandra Palata, however, said he had no information about the poll boycott.