“Three families residing in Katli village are struggling to make their both ends meet. There is not even a proper village pathway. The plight of a 77-year-old asthma patient living here is particularly distressing. Every month, he has to walk nearly 1.5 km to reach the nearest road head before boarding a bus to collect his pension from a nearby post office,” says Ajay Kumar, a candidate for the post of vice-pradhan.
Ajay adds that despite repeated assurances from politicians before every election, they have seen little action on the ground.
The villagers say that some developmental works, including the construction of water tanks, began only after the announcement of the elections. However, many questioned whether the newly elected panchayat would be able to bear the financial burden of completing these projects.
Concerns over infrastructure are not limited to roads. More than 70 students of Government Elementary School, Garkhal near Kasauli, have been studying in a temporary panchayat building since their school building was severely damaged during the 2023 rain disaster.
With no alternative accommodation available, the students of pre-primary to Class V are being accommodated in one hall and a small adjoining room. The cramped conditions have deprived children of a playground and limited the use of educational resources such as projectors, computers and televisions, most of which remain packed due to the lack of adequate space.
The local authorities have made repeated announcements claiming that sufficient funds have been sanctioned for the repair of the school building, no reconstruction work has been undertaken. The only work completed so far is the demolition of the damaged structure.
“It is surprising that the same panchayat representatives are now seeking votes after failing to ensure repairs at this important school that serves several nearby villages,” says Rakesh, a local resident.
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