Ranchi, November 13 (IANS). Voting is going on in 43 out of 81 assembly seats of Jharkhand. Voters are reaching polling stations in large numbers. Tight security arrangements have been made to make the process peaceful and fair. People in Palamu district of the state, while talking to IANS, mentioned the issues which are important for them.
A voter who came to exercise his franchise said, “The assembly elections are being conducted peacefully. People have come to vote. People are leaving their homes in large numbers. The biggest issue for Jharkhand is sand. The issue of sand mining is also important. People want mining to start. Some say that the Central Government did not start, some blame the State Government. “People want to know whose hand is behind not starting sand mining.”
Another voter said, “Palamu needs development. Lack of mutual coordination and low growth rate are the main problems here. The candidates who have represented the area by winning the elections should fulfill their responsibility towards their area. Those who vote for them should work for them and ensure development of the area. If local leaders had taken proper care of their area, Palamu’s development would have been much greater. Now the winds of change are blowing and there is hope and enthusiasm among the people. In previous elections, where regional development was not taken care of after taking the first vote, this time a change is being seen in the administration, and the public is also looking towards change. Elections used to be held 5 years ago, but now this time a change is being expected.”
Another voter who came to cast his vote said, “Many schemes and expenses have been announced by the government, but their reality at the ground level seems different. For example, if we talk about road construction, work started at many places, but within a few months the work was left incomplete. No officer or contractor is coming forward to take responsibility for these problems. The government is making tall claims of development, but its quality is nowhere visible on the ground.”
He further said, “Another serious issue is that the wealth of the leaders whose wealth has increased hugely in the last five years is running into lakhs and crores. How does an employee, who is working on a monthly salary of Rs 30,000, build properties and buildings worth crores? No one has understood this question yet. What kind of development is taking place is also a big question. Where did the officers, employees and leaders living in cities get so much money from? No investigation of any kind is being done on this. Transactions worth crores of rupees continue without any investigation. If anyone gets money, it is dealt with quietly rather than raising questions. This system is not correct. We have to understand that if this is happening, then something is going wrong somewhere. This situation is not limited to just looting and plunder, but could also be a conspiracy, from which everyone is taking advantage together.”
–IANS
PSM/KR
