The polling for phase-III of District development Council was held in one DDC seat of Gool in Ramban district in which about 65 per cent voters exercised their franchise.
The polling process witnessed election boycott and protest of hundreds of voters of Kali Masta, Gagra Gundi, etc of sub-division Gool against failure of PMGSY department and government to complete 11 kilometres long Jaman Gool- Gagra link road , which is under construction from 2000.
The locals said after knocking all the doors for justice the voters of Kalimasta and Gagra decided an election boycott and staged protests on election day against the government’s abandonment of the link road connecting over eight thousand population of cut off areas of sub division Gool in Ramban District. They said PMGSY failed to connect the huge population of the area even after 20 years of construction of JamanGool – Gagra road.
They said the locals are forced to reach hospital, Subdivision and Tehsil headquarters Gool for day to day works on foot. According to polling staff only two votes were casted by 11 am at polling stations no 25 and 26.
Later, Deputy Commissioner, Ramban Harbans Sharma in a video message assured the people of Kali Masta and Gagra Panchayat that they appreciate their protest regarding construction and development issues and that they would take up the issue including link road in the first week of January 2021, and a team of district officers will be brought to the area.