LS polls: No polling booth in 24 deserted Uttarakhand villages
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Photo: EPS
Dehradun: 24 villages in Uttarakhand will not have a single polling booth on election day, April 19, despite the Election Commission of India's diligent attempts to increase voter participation in the Lok Sabha elections. This is the first time since independence. Informally referred to as "deserted villages," these are called "ghost villages" by the residents.
24 villages that have actively participated in each of the last 16 Lok Sabha elections since independence will not be able to exercise their right to vote this time around, according to data provided by the State Election Commission.
As reported by the State Migration Commission, these villages were recently classified as "uninhabited villages," which is a surprising aspect that prevented them from participating in the election process.
According to the commission’s findings, “These villages are now deemed uninhabited, located in the districts of Almora, Tehri, Champawat, Pauri Garhwal, Pithoragarh, and Chamoli, the New Indian Express reported.
The second report released in February 2023 brought forth a significant trend of temporary migration from 6,436 gram panchayats in the state between 2018 and 2022.”
The report explicitly states that “Over three lakh individuals departed their villages in pursuit of employment. Nevertheless, these individuals sporadically returned. Concurrently, permanent migration occurred in 2067 gram panchayats within the state. Residents departed their villages in quest of employment, education, and healthcare, and did not return.”
According to the migration commission's analysis, which was cited in the article, many people sold their ancestral properties, leaving many plots empty. Notably, permanent migration left an astounding eighty-gram panchayats in the Almora area abandoned. The commission's study makes a noteworthy discovery, pointing out that up to 24 villages in the state were completely "uninhabited" between 2018 and 2022.
In this situation, there won't be a vibrancy of the general elections for the abandoned villages. There is no reason for candidates to campaign in those locations as there won't be polling places established there.
In an interview with this publication, BVRC Purushottam, the Chief Electoral Officer of Uttarakhand, noted, “While this issue is linked to migration, the Election Commission has established polling booths even in extremely remote regions of the state inhabited by as less as 50 voters. The Commission’s aim is to facilitate inclusive voting in hard-to-reach areas.”
As per the information gathered, “Between 2018 and 2022, a total of 28,531 individuals residing in 2,067 gram panchayats in the state underwent permanent migration, relocating to district headquarters or other districts. The highest proportion, at 35.47 per cent, opted for nearby towns. 23.61 per cent of individuals moved to other districts while 21.08 per cent went beyond state boundaries.