W Champaran tribals threaten poll boycott over lack of roads & bridges

Bettiah: Situated between the Shivalik foothills and the dense Valmiki Tiger Reserve, 26 tribal-dominated villages under two panchayats of Ramnagar assembly constituency remain untouched by development.

Residents of Naurangiya Don and Bankatwa Don face unpaved roads, treacherous mountain rivers and poor connectivity, turning even basic travel into a life-threatening challenge. To reach Ramnagar block headquarters, villagers must cross the same river nearly a dozen times while journeys to Bagaha require 22 crossings to reach Harnatand, the capital of Tharuhat, before continuing to the block headquarters.Electricity barely reaches all villages, mobile networks allow only calls and internet access is impossible.

During the monsoon, when mountain rivers swell, these areas virtually disappear from Bihar’s map for four months. Villagers cannot leave, officials cannot reach them, and emergency travel often requires tractors navigating raging currents — sometimes getting stuck and rescued only by other tractors or JCBs.

In severe health emergencies, patients are ferried across rivers on cots at great personal risk. Despite these recurring crises, election season brings only promises, with no follow-up action.

Janardan Mahato, gumasta (village head) of Naurangiya Don, said these basic problems affect more than 40,000 people. “Leaders make promises during every Lok Sabha and assembly elections, but after the elections, no one even bothers to inquire,” he said. Mahato added that within the two panchayats, dozens of villages lack electricity and reliable mobile networks. “Roads within villages are paved, but outside we travel only on dirt tracks.

All 26 villages lie between forests and mountain rivers. To reach Ramnagar, one crosses a river 10 to 12 times; to reach Harnatand, 22 times. We have long demanded a few bridges to ease travel — small culverts for minor rivers and larger bridges for wider ones — but our demands remain ignored. Patience has broken. About 30,000 voters from both panchayats have decided to boycott the assembly elections. This time, we will not vote under any circumstances.”Rajendra Prasad of Bankatwa said, “Both panchayats have a 10+2 govt school each, and sub-health centres provide minor medical care. Education and health have improved, but no one addresses electricity, roads or bridges. During the four-month rainy season, villagers stock rations and essentials. If health deteriorates, patients must be carried on cots or transported by tractors. Sudden floods make travel on bikes impossible, forcing residents to sling bikes across rivers using bamboo poles.

That is why we have united to boycott the vote.”Tata Mahato added that due to lack of electricity, most villagers rely on solar panels for mobile charging and minimal lighting. “Being a forested area, dangerous wild animals and poisonous snakes often approach our homes. This year, residents of Don have united to boycott the vote, raising the slogan, ‘No road and bridge, no vote.’”Bagaha SP Sushant Kumar Saroj said he was informed of the boycott plan. “I personally visited the villages and appealed to the people to participate in this grand festival of democracy. I urged them to convey their concerns to senior officials and the government. After this discussion, they agreed to vote,” he said.