The villagers then disagreed only to agree to exercise their franchise in the Assembly elections in 2012 after getting assurances from the then Government representatives that their demand for construction of the Syura-Harishtal Road between Bhimtal and Okhalkanda blocks in Nainitial, would be fulfilled in due course of time.
However, with the aforesaid road construction works moving not even a single inch on the ground so far during the past two years, the villagers of Harishtal and adjacent areas seemingly disappointed with the Government on this issue, have threatened this time again to boycott polling in Uttarakhand on May 7.
"Neither would we succumb to any pressure nor settle for less than written assurance from the district administration, Nainital, in regard to the construction of the road this time for participating in the polling process on May 7,"
the villagers said.
"In case there is no credible assurance i.e. written assurance from the Nainital district administration in this regard, we will boycott the polling on May 7," said the villagers from the Harishtal and adjacent villages.
"At the same time to intensify our movement for construction of the road, we will stage protest after May 16," Dayanand Sanwal, a resident of Harishtal, who is actively
associated with the road
construction movement, told The Pioneer.
"We have been demanding construction of the Syura- Harishtal road stretch for many years, but nothing has been done except giving assurances by the public representatives and the officials concerned,"
regretted Sanwal.
"The fact is that we have recently taken up the same road construction matter with the district administration Nainital and threatened to boycott the polling on the same issue. Subsequently, a team of officials concerned from Nainital district administration came here to assure us to resolve the issue. But the matter of concern is that nothing has been done except giving assurances. So we have decided to boycott the polling unless written assurance is given," the villagers asserted.
This is a 36-km road stretch between Syura and Harishtal connecting the Bhimtal and Okhalkanda blocks and could prove to be a lifeline for the people living in this region as this road if given a concrete shape may not only provide better road connectivity but also come in handy for agricultural as well as horticultural activities of the farmers of Harishta and adjacent villages of the Okhalkanda block.
"Apart from a variety of vegetables like potato, onion, cauliflower, cabbage, tomato to name a few, this area also provides good climatic conditions to grow orange, lemon and other kind of fruits. But on account of poor transportation facility, the agricultural and horticultural produces rotten up," Sanwal said.
"Therefore, people, including the progressive farmers, here are of the view that better transportation linkages may have not only smoothened mobility in this hilly region but also assured better returns to the farmers. So we are against appealing to the Government to consider our demand," the
villagers said.