No contestant this panchayat election ever said a word for toilet in his/her panchayat. Sources said the contestants are mouthful of promises. Some spoke of better irrigational facility. Some spoke of schools. But none said anything for toilets or showed any determination for making the panchayat free of open defecation.
Sources said women candidates contesting panchayat ward election are not coming forward for a swachh panchayat. “Votes are being asked for big issues but not for the basic things such as toilets, that will make the panchayat distinct”, said Ansari, a labourer.
Sources said contradictions are apparent as people who used to defecate on the bank of the water bodies here are moving further deep to attend the nature's call. Sources said it is all for keeping ghats free of filth. But there is no concern for swachhta in rest of the time lamented Singh, a student who takes long walks along the river Koyal. An IAS probationer D Jha took stock of the Amanat river bed where throng a large number of chhath devotees and spend night on the dry sand. Jha saw the openness and vastness of this sand bed ghat which was by and large more clean than other cemented ghats.
The first phase of poll is due on November 22 here in which bordering areas of Palamu with Bihar will go to polls. In the first phase panchayat poll in Hussainabad things are as sedate as the river Sone. This river Sone takes the water of Palamu's Koyal. Here are some specimens of candidates version. i will get completed the unfinished work of my mukhiya husband ( where the seat goes to woman). There will flow development all around . ( But no blue print as to how this will happen). And endless promises. Second most conspicuous thing that one does not hear this panchayat election is no reference to any strengthening of legal aid clinic in panchayat where petty disputes are resolved with the help of a visiting lawyer and a para legal volunteer. Palamu has about a dozen legal aid clinics in villages here where sits a PlV (Para legal Volunteer).
Sources said the panchayat election could have popularised the legal aid clinics in a much more people friendly manner but there is no any contestant's attention or interest. legal aid clinic is an institution in itself.