Sacked by PWD, Spiti villagers threaten to boycott elections

Tribune News Service

Mandi, April 18

Daily wage workers of the Public Works Department (PWD), who have been demanding regularisation of their jobs, have threatened to boycott the Lok Sabha election and the Assembly byelection in Spiti valley of Lahaul and Spiti district.

Left in the lurch: A resident

Service of 13 daily wage workers of this village were terminated by the PWD authorities on Wednesday, which has left us disappointed. We were waiting for the regularisation of their jobs and the matter is sub judice. This action of the PWD has left us in the lurch. So, the villagers have decided to boycott the election on June 1.Rs Takpa Samtan, a resident of Tashigang village

Yesterday, the PWD terminated the services of 13 daily wage workers, who are the natives of remote Tashigang village in the Spiti valley. This action of the PWD authorities has irked the residents of Tashigang village, who have now threatened to boycott the Lok Sabha elections and the Assembly byelections on June 1.

Located at an altitude of 15,256 feet, Tashigang is a small hamlet in Himachal Pradesh and is now the highest polling station in the world. It is located in the Spiti Valley, less than 30 km from the India-China border and is one among 17 Assembly segments of Mandi - the second largest constituency in India. The polling station of Tashigang covers two villages— Tashigang and Gete. The villages have 52 voters.

Takpa Samtan, a resident of Tashigang village, said, “Yesterday, services of 13 daily wage workers of this village were terminated by the PWD authorities, which has left us disappointed. We were waiting for the regularisation of their jobs and the matter is sub judice. This action of the PWD has left us in the lurch. So, the residents of this village have decided to boycott the election on June 1.”

Takpa said that “unemployment is a major issue. We have been feeding our families by earning some money but now we are jobless. We are in utter distress and don’t know how to manage our family expenditure without a job.”

Additional Deputy Commissioner Kaza, Rahul Jain said that “this matter was brought to the notice of the Kaza administration. We have been trying to convince the voters to take part in the elections but they are adamant on their demand to restore their jobs without any delay.”

Tashigang polling station, 30 km away from the China border, covers two villages as Tashigang and Gate. It was set up in 2019, when it had 48 voters. Now, it has 52 voters, including 22 female voters.

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