Election boycott: Forest norms bar roads, power in Melghat villages

NAGPUR: In tribal pockets of Melghat hills under the Amravati Lok Sabha constituency, six villages boycotted elections to protest the lack of roads and electricity in their area. As the gesture was in contrast to the high turnout of 71% registered in Melghat, a tribal belt, the problem relates to a deeper conflict between conservation and connectivity, say officials in the district administration.

The residents of Rangubeli, Kund Dhokada, Khamda, Kinhikheda and Khopmar expressed their ire by not voting on April 26. There are around 15 such villages with a population of close to 10,000 located within the forest areas facing similar adversities. The state government is ready with funds to take up the works, but they have been halted due to the strict conservation norms for the Melghat tiger reserve, said sources.

A large part of Melghat is part of the tiger reserve. There is a policy of optional relocation for the locals living within forest areas. This means, they have a choice to shift, if they want. For those preferring to stay within the forest, getting even basic facilities like power or roads becomes tough, say official sources.

Efforts by polling officials failed to convince the villagers, who had decided to shun voting. The 6km road connecting the area is completely broken and has no bitumen layer. It's tough for the locals to commute. There is no power either.

Funds have been allocated for the works but it needs no-objection certificate (NoC) from the forest department. It's tough to get one because the area lies within the tiger reserve. The villagers manage to get water from the age-old wells. However, when it comes to providing electricity, it needs a go-ahead from the forest department. The electricity poles and other infrastructure cannot be installed without the approval of the forest department. The tussle continues, said sources.

Since the locals can relocate by choice, a number of them prefer to stay in their traditional villages. Melghat is a tribal belt and many tribals do not want to be uprooted from the villages where they have been living since generations.

If not entirely, in all villages at least some of the population prefers to stay back. For example, in Pili, a village in Dharni tehsil, a polling centre was established for just seven persons. They belonged to a single large family which has preferred to stay inside the forest area while the rest have relocated, the source said.