A view of Naga Toli, one of the villages in the Kaimur hills region. Picture by Sanjay Choudhary

Patna, Jan. 21: The voters’ list in about a dozen villages located in the Kaimur hills in Rohtas district has hardly changed in the past five years. Reason: no new bride has come to these villages, considered to be the den of Maoists, in over a decade.

Not just men, even the women in these villages have not received any marriage proposals, as a result of which the number of bachelors and spinsters has risen sharply in the region.

The startling fact came to light during the preparation of fresh voters’ list by booth level officers (BLOs) under Chenari, Nauhatta and Rohtas blocks of Naxalite-affected Rohtas district. Over 300 men and women, aged about 40-45 years, have been mentioned as bachelors in the report submitted to the authorities. At least 4,000 people live in these villages, which lack basic amenities like electricity and water supply.

A teacher of Balduria Government Primary School, who conducted the voters’ survey under Chenari block, found over 250 men and 50 women who had crossed 40 but were still single. The teacher-cum-booth-level-officer was shocked to find that people from outside the plateau were not inclined to tie the nuptial knot with boys and girls of these villages, located barely 25km from Garhwa district in Jharkhand where 13 policemen were killed in a landmine blast today.

The survey was conducted in Auraiya, Bhurkuda, Urdaga under Chenari block, Banda, Pandav, Yadunathpur, Pararia, Dhansa, Badka Urawan under Nauhatta block and Dabua, Ghonghi, Padkupia, Sarodag and Padya villages under Rohtas block. The BLO’s report said the number of bachelors and spinsters in these villages was escalating dangerously.

Vishwanath Singh Pahadia, mukhiya of Bhurkuda panchayat, said that he had not seen any marriage being solemnised in these villages since 2007. “I am the village head. But I have not seen any baarat going out from these villages. No father wants to marry off his daughter to the men in these villages because of the Naxalite threat,” he said.

Sub-divisional officer (SDO) of Dehri Khursheed Ahmad Siddiqui confirmed having received the reports of the BLOs under his jurisdiction. “The survey had started in February 2011,” he said, adding that the caste-based census would start in the area from January 25.

When asked about the steep rise in the number of bachelors in Maoist-affected villages located on Kaimur plateau, Siddiqui said: “I have not gone through the reports of the BLOs. It will not be proper to comment on the matter without seeing the reports.”

The SDO, however, admitted that several villages located on the hills were badly affected by Maoist menace. Residents said Naxalites were invited to each and every function organised in the villages. “A mass feast is organised for the Maoists even at the time of someone’s shradh (last rites),” said a resident of Urdaga village.