Bhagalpur, March 27: The mukhiya, sarpanch and other panchayat members, along with a sizeable number of voters, are listed under an area that has disappeared from the map of the district.
Kamalakund panchayat under Ismailpur block in Bhagalpur had disappeared into the Ganga river bed some 15 years back but preparation for the upcoming panchayat polls are on at full swing just like in 2006 and 2011.
Bhagalpur district administration will conduct polls despite the fact that the area in question does not exist any more.
More than 30,000 people under the panchayat moved to other places with the land's gradual disappearance. The residents migrated to places such as Saidpur, Tatri-Pakra, Paschmi-Vitta, Ghogha, Barari and even on the river embankments in Ismailpur since 2000.
"I will meet my fellow villagers and relatives at the polling booth," said Anandi Mandal, one of the voters registered under Kamalakund panchayat, now living on the embankments in Ismailpur.
It is not clear if the district administration, the state panchayati raj department or the election cell of the district is aware of the fact that the area does not exist any more but local officials claimed that the panchayat polls for this area will be conducted on May 2.
"The voters of Kamalakund have shifted to Ishmilepur and their polling stations will be at Ishmilepur," said Raghbendra Singh, the sub-divisional officer at Naugachia.
Sweta, the election officer at Ishmilepur said nominations for the posts of the mukhiya, the sarpanch and other positions were completed. Nearly 2,000 voters registered under Kamalakund will exercise their franchises.
According to the electoral norms, an Indian is registered in the voters' list according to their permanent address. But the previous residents of Kamalakund can caste their votes for Kamalakund panchayat instead of their present addresses.
"You cannot conduct polls outside the wards of a panchayat," said Rajiv Kumar, a displaced villager. "It is a direct violation of gram panchayat regulations."
Since Kamalakund has no existence on the map, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) funds for the area has been restricted. But the anomaly lies in the fact that some other development programmes for this panchayat has been running for long.
"Some corrupt officials are involved in the scam. They withdraw huge amounts of money in the name of government funds such as Indira Awas Yojana for a place that does not have physical existence anymore," alleged Ajay Kumar Jha, secretary of Raj Ram Mohon Smrity Manch, a social organisation in Ismailpur.
Amit Kumar, the deputy development commissioner in Bhagalpur also expressed his concern. "It is really amusing that the funds from Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act could not be utilised for Kamalakund. Such a poll is unique," he said.
