INDIA VOTES 2024: Voters of remote Kullu village exhorted to participate in polls

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, April 23

Banjar SDM Pankaj Sharma took stock of the remotest and toughest polling station in Shaakti village and conducted various Systematic Voter’s Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) activities to motivate voters of Shaakti, Maror and Shugad villages of the remote Gadaparli panchayat.

The panchayat has 96 voters, including 46 females, and the people had expressed their reluctance to vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections “due to failure of successive governments to introduce basic infrastructure in the area.”

The remote Shaakti village in the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is not connected with electricity or road facility so far. The nearest road link is at Niharni, which is 18 km from Maror, 14 km from Shaakti and 12 km from Shugad on foot. The trek route is very risky and it becomes more dangerous during snow and rains. The school situated in the village is up to Class VIII and the nearest dispensary is 20 km away at Bah.

In 2021, the then Kullu Deputy Commissioner Ashutosh Garg had visited the villages along with a team of officials of various departments, to connect these villages with electricity and road, but nothing much has materialised yet. However, the villagers have been provided with solar lights by various NGOs and the government as well. Last year, the villagers were connected with the rest of the world through mobile phones after a tower was set up near Nachan village.

The SDM said he reached the Shaakti village after 7 hours of strenuous trek and heard the public grievances. He said, “After the natural disaster last year, the trek route to the village had become very risky and many houses and routes had been damaged.” He added that he also reached Maror village after trekking further for about three hours and interacted with the villagers. He said the villagers had agreed to participate in the electoral process after motivation.

He said, “The Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) has been directed to expedite the installation of the early alarming system for floods before the upcoming monsoon season.” He added that the possibility of making a helipad in the area was also being explored. He said the villagers were elated to see an official from the administration personally visiting the area.

No development, mere promises

• The remote Shaakti village in the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is not connected with electricity or road facility so far
• The nearest road link is at Niharni, which is 18 km from Maror, 14 km from Shaakti and 12 km from Shugad on foot
• The school situated in the village is up to Class VIII and the nearest dispensary is 20 km away at Bah
• Last year, the villagers were connected with the rest of the world through mobile phones after a tower was set up near Nachan village
• In 2021, the then Kullu Deputy Commissioner had visited the villages along with a team of officials of various departments, to connect these villages with electricity and road, but nothing much has materialised yet
• However, the villagers have been provided with solar lights by various NGOs and government

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