Urban local body polls: Bygamund residents of Nilgiris district threaten a boycott
The Hindu
Residents have been demanding that their ward be merged with the Doddabetta panchayat, for the last five years, as the panchayat office is within walking distance of their village
Residents of Bygamund in Ketti town panchayat, threatened to boycott the upcoming local body elections and refused to allow any candidate contesting in the elections to enter their village on Thursday.
Bygamund, which is located in Ward Number 1 of Ketti town panchayat, is extremely close to the Doddabetta panchayat limits. Local residents said that they had been demanding that their ward be merged with the Doddabetta panchayat for the last five years, as the panchayat office is within walking distance of their village. However, the Ketti town panchayat office, to which the ward is attached to, is more than 25 kilometers away and requires multiple bus switches en route to get to, they claimed.
Residents said that the Doddabetta town panchayat office was only a few hundred yards away from their village, and wanted the ward to be absorbed into the Doddabetta panchayat. Residents also want the ward to be notified as a rural ward, and not as an urban ward as is currently the case. The village is believed to have around 500 voters, who have all threatened to boycott the elections.
A Gopinath, a local resident stated that among other demands, local residents had wanted the ward to be declared as a reserved ward. “The Ketti town panchayat has also failed to provide any basic amenities, nor has it invested in any substantial infrastructure projects in the ward for the last decade,” said Mr. Gopinath. Other residents said that the ward was beset with a number of problems, including lack of a waste disposal mechanism as well as no proper roads and pathways.
Following the threats to boycott the elections, Revenue Department and election officials held talks with the residents to hear their grievances and to find a solution. Police presence was also stepped up near the village.
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