This Punjab village boycotted assembly polls as a show of disappointment; read here

New Delhi: While over 65% of the eligible voters in Punjab showed up to exercise their franchise in the single-phased assembly polling, however, one village of the state decided to boycott the voting owing to its disappointment with the system.

Voters of Basiala village in the Garhshankar Assembly segment boycotted the polling on Sunday in protest against the closing of a railroad crossing.

What is the issue?

Voters of Basiala village demanded that first the railroad on the Jalandhar-SBS Nagar-Jaijon rail track near their village be reopened.

Basiala village sarpanch Hardev Singh said the crossing was closed three years ago for the reasons best known to the railway authorities.

He said it caused difficulties to the inhabitants of Basiala, Bakapur Guru, Rasoolpur, Chauhra, Denowal Kalan and Dogarpur villages falling under Anandpur Lok Sabha constituency.

Due to the closing of the gates, commuters have been forced to travel a distance of about 2 km to reach the village.

There are so many sharp turns on this alternative narrow route and it is very difficult to move tractor-trailers and school buses, he said.

The sarpanch said they had made a number of representations to MP Manish Tewari, Union Railway Ministry, Ferozepur Railway Division authorities and the district administration in this regard but nothing has been done so far.

What is being done to resolve the issue?

Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Apneet Riyait said joint efforts by the administration and police are being made to persuade voters to take part in the polling.

They had also sent a proposal to the railway authorities that the salary to the railway guard and other expenses for the opening of the railroad crossing will be met by panchayats of the affected villages, he said.

He himself visited the village on Sunday and appealed to people to vote, however, they refused to vote despite efforts by the administration

To pressure the government on the reopening of the railroad crossing, residents of Basiala, Rasoolpur, Chahera and Bakarpur villages have been protesting for the past 15 days.

On February 13, they had blocked traffic at Basiala village on the Nawanshahar-Garhshankar road.