Warangal:In a surprising turn of events, a tribal village in Panchayat Raj Minister Seethakka’s constituency boycotted the state government’s Comprehensive Caste Survey in Ailapur, Kannaigudem Mandal, Mulugu District on Monday.

When the survey enumerators arrived in the village to collect details of the residents’ family members, the villagers refused to cooperate. They claimed that for several decades they have been urging government officials and public representatives to build roads and provide basic amenities in their village. However, all their efforts went in vain, prompting them to boycott the poll until their demands are met.

Malle Lakshmaiah, former village sarpanch, told Deccan Chronicle that since 1988, villagers have been waiting for the government to undertake road construction in their area. He added, “Several times, whenever officials or public representatives, including ministers, visit our village, we bring the issue to their attention, but no one has taken any initiative to resolve it.”

Lakshmaiah further said, “Officials often visit our village to get votes but show no real interest in addressing our issues. Not only students and other villagers, but also those suffering from health complications, including pregnant women, face significant difficulties in achieving tenure. and the district headquarters due to the lack of roads and transport services such as buses or ambulances”.

The villagers also criticized Seethakka, who was earlier an opposition party MP and is now a minister in the Congress government. They claimed that during her tenure as an MP, she expressed difficulty in addressing their issues. “Even though she is now a minister, she is not interested in solving our problems,” Lakshmaiah said.

The villagers informed the enumerators that they would reconsider participation in the survey only if the district collector or the minister visited their village and gave assurances regarding the construction of roads and provision of other basic facilities such as electricity and drinking water.