Chhattigarh: Villagers threaten to boycott panchayat polls over non-construction of bridge

Residents of Piprahi village in the Ramnagar gram panchayat of the district have threatened to boycott the upcoming panchayat elections, owing to unavailability of a permanent bridge to cross a pond which connects their village to other parts of the region.As of now, the villagers use a makeshift wooden bridge to cross the pond, which they claim becomes inaccessible during the rainy season."In the past, we have complained to the district administration and different leaders. Even after repeated requests, our demands are not met and now we have decided to boycott the upcoming panchayat elections. During monsoon when the water overflows our village turns into a mini island", Mohan Mehta, a resident of the village told reporters here.Speaking about the bridge and the problems people face owing to it, another resident said, "A person from the village had constructed the wooden bridge as a temporary measure and we have been using it ever since. Almost every other day people keep falling ...