Many voters in New Town to start campaign to boycott Panchayat polls
KOLKATA: A large section of voters in New Town will soon initiate a campaign urging the electorates in the area to boycott Panchayat polls as they believe that some parts of New Town which are under Jyangra Hatiara II Gram Panchayat should not be kept under the jurisdiction of a Panchayat as all civic amenities in these areas are provided by NKDA.
Eight seats with 12 booths, covering large sections of New Town Action Area IA, IB, IC, ID, IIB, IIE and some pockets of Action Area III are included in Jyangra Hatiara II Gram Panchayat with around 15,000 voters.
Earlier, state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister Firhad Hakim, as well as state Panchayats and Rural Development minister Pradip Mazumder, had given assurance that these areas will be excluded from the Panchayat.
“The process of excluding New Town areas from the Panchayat is in process. It involves the integration of several departments. So, it will take some time,” Mazumder said.
“NKDA provides all municipal services for residents of New Town. So, what benefit will we get by electing a Panchayat member? This will be our basic question to the candidates who will come and seek votes from us. We will urge the people for a mass boycott as casting votes will be an exercise in futility. We will soon take out a rally with an appeal of boycotting the polls and will also put up banners urging people to stay away from the voting process,” Samaresh Das, of New Town Forum & News (NTFN), a resident organisation in New Town said.
Das, however, made it clear that nobody will be prevented from voting as it is a constitutional right and there is also an option to cast a vote in favour of NOTA.
“New Town is under NKDA and has already got the status of a smart city. We believe it should not be under a Panchayat. Why should we vote for Panchayat polls? What will be the role played by an elected Panchayat candidate for the development of New Town?” asked an elderly resident of Sukhobristi Abasan in New Town.
