Karnataka - Belgaum   

10 villages to boycott gram panchayat polls

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELGAUM, FEB. 19. People of Gundapi in the Nanjankudal Gram Panchayat in Khanapur taluk; Nidasosi and Shirgaon in the Madihalli Gram Panchayat in Hukkeri taluk; Kittur, Bailwad and Dodwad in Bailhongal taluk; Kurubagatti, Tavalgeri and Yarjarvi in the Mudamgeri Gram Panchayat in Saundatti taluk; and Savadi of Athani taluk have decided to boycott the elections to the gram panchayats in protest against the lack of basic amenities such as roads and drinking water.

This means 111 seats from these villages will remain uncontested.

Disclosing this here on Saturday, the Deputy Commissioner, M. Maheshwar Rao, appealed to the people of the villages to exercise their franchise and assured them that the Government would respond to their problems.

Meanwhile, 306 members have been elected unopposed to the gram panchayats of Handignur, Bendageri, Bikkankeri and Nilaj in Belgaum taluk; Kankumbi, Kakkeri and Nagargali in Khanapur taluk; Hebbal and Bastwad in Hukkeri taluk; Chikbagewadi, Anigol, Dastikop and Tigdolli in Bailhongal; Makkalgeri, Akkatangeradahal and Pamaldinni in Gokak taluk; Kabbur, Kurli, Kargaon and Janwad in Chikkodi taluk; and Igali and Nagnur P.K. in Athani taluk.

As many as 439 gram panchayats in the nine taluks of the district will go to the polls on February 25, while polling to 33 gram panchayats in Raibag taluk will be held on March 6.

The Police Department, which has made elaborate security arrangements for the smooth conduct of the polling, has identified 454 booths as hyper-sensitive and 689 booths as sensitive of the total 1,143 booths to be set up in the district.

Additional force

The Superintendent of Police, Hemant Nimbalkar, said in addition to 26 platoons of the District Armed Reserve available in the district, 16 platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police will be deployed throughout the district to ensure that no untoward incident takes place during the polling.

He said each hypersensitive booth will be manned by one head constable and a constable or a Home Guard.

In all, 121 supervisory mobile parties have been formed, and each party will supervise 25 booths.

To ensure better communication and considering the vast area of the district, wireless networks have been set up at Belgaum, Bailhongal and Chikkodi and linked to the Control Room of the district.

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