Farmers Boycott Pani Panchyat Elections In Protest In Odisha’s Mayurbhanj

Baripada: The farmers of a village in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district on Saturday boycotted the election to Pani Panchayat in protest against lack of water supply to their farmland.

According to sources, the election to Pani Panhcayat No 10 under Udala block in the district was scheduled to be held on the day. Accordingly, the poling officials reached Shri Jagannath Vidyapaitha at Rangamatia village to conduct the elections.

But hundreds of villagers reached the Vidyapitha and opposed the election. They alleged that though they have been paying water tax regularly every year, their farmlands hardly get any irrigated water.

Due to the protest of the villagers, a few people could file their nomination papers. But nobody cast their votes in the election, the sources said.

“Our village is located at the tail end of the canal system. Three famlands of 3 villages including Rangamatia are supposed to be irrigated by the canal water. But the canal water is not reaching our farm fields for the last 20 years though we continue to pay water cess every year,” said Rakesh Puhan, a villager of Rangamatia.

“We have verbally apprised the block officials of our problem and submitted written complaints several times. As no remedial step was taken, we moved the court. We have also filed a case in Orissa High Court. But we continue to suffer and are unable to get sufficient yield from our cultivation due to scarcity of water every year. So, we decided to boycott the election to draw the attention of the authorities,” he added.

As tension prevailed in the area, police rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the villagers. Despite the polling officials’ request, the villagers did not participate in the election, the sources said.