Maybe for the first time in the country, a section of voters, although small in number, are considering to opt NOTA as a mark of protest against gross negligence of their long pending problems by the local authorities.
Hitherto, voters have been boycotting for similar issues while NOTA remained an individual’s prerogative. But the voters in the present case of P&T Colony of Hanuman Nagar in the city want to exercise their right to franchise instead of boycotting and register their protest as well through NOTA. It is for the government to change their views, says a hapless resident of the colony.
Following is the memorandum they have sent to the Deputy Commissioner, Karnataka State Election Commissioner and Belagavi City Corporation, which is self explanatory as to what compelled the residents to look for NOTA.
Underground Drainage facility for P & T colony and adjoining areas in Hanuman Nagar II stage.
This is to bring to your kind information and immediate response towards a burning problem, which has been kept alive for over 4 decades, unfortunately by no other than the responsible Belagavi City Corporation. The problem which started due to gross negligence and failure of BCC to provide drainage lines to the P & T colony(Society formed in 1967) and the adjoining areas for more than 40 years, has manifested into a nauseating, stinking and intolerable nuisance in the form of a lagoon of highly contaminated sewage(kindly view the picture). What is most hurting and most incomprehensible that the BCC has turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the woes of the hapless taxpaying residents. This sewage filled lagoon has become a serious health hazard which could cause communicable diseases like Dengue, Malaria, Cholera, respiratory problems and other health problems due to wide spread of highly polluted air and water affecting more than 200 families of the locality.
Though the residents of the colony submitted several memoranda to the BCC and lodged complaints with Janahita portal during last 4 years besides KSPCB Belagavi, neither the BCC nor the KSPCB bothered to take corrective measures and construct the much needed drainage lines. The residents have paid development charges but stand denied the basic amenities for the reasons best known to BCC. Not only the residents but the even the health of the domestic and stray cattle and animals has also been threatened.
Having failed to elicit any due response from the BCC, we the residents of this colony are seriously considering to exercise our right to vote by opting to NOTA in protest against gross negligence of our long pending problem, instead of boycotting the upcoming polling for Loksabha constituency of Belagavi, unless the concerned authority commits to respond to our long pending grievances immediately and resolve the issue in a time-bound manner.
We earnestly request your kind-self to take serious note of the matter and issue directions to the BCC to respond and take immediate measures to resolve the matter.
S–A–D State of Affairs………..