As Administration Fails to Deliver, to Pick Nota En Masse, the Village of Freedom Fighters in Uttarakhand

Angered by the administration’s failure to meet the long-pending demand for a link road, the villagers of Champawat’s Aam Khark, who gave at least four freedom fighters to the country, voted for NOTA in the upcoming February assembly elections. have decided to vote. 14. Lack of connectivity has already forced around 65 per cent residents to leave the village, he complained. Villagers said that they have been demanding 1500 meter link road since 2007. Though the proposed project was included in the district plan, it remains unaffected till date. He said that if the link road is constructed, it will connect the village with the Tanakpur-Champawat highway and will address many of their day to day concerns.

Whenever elections are approaching, we get assurances from the leaders of political parties that if they come to power, they will get the road constructed. But after the election they forget us. We are left with no option but to resort to NOTA (none of the above) this time around, said Ganga Devi, a resident. Another villager Tara Devi said that despite being a village of freedom fighters, Aam Kharak is devoid of education, medical and banking facilities. Mahesh Chowrakoti, a resident of the village and district president of Champawat’s freedom fighter successor organization, said that in the absence of a road, villagers have to travel about 5 km to reach Tanakpur for minor medical aid and Shyamaltal for schooling. , He said that four Gandhian freedom fighters – Ram Chandra Chowrakoti, Beniram Chowrakoti, Bachi Ram Chowrakoti and Padmadutt Chowrakoti – were born in the village and contributed to the Quit India Movement of 1942.