INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
GALESHWOR, APRIL 18With three weeks left for voting in the local level election, party campaigners have intensified
election preparations here
The leaders and cadres have been reaching every doorstep and wooing voters.
Talks on for voting rights for Nepalis abroad
Election fever heats up in Sudurpaschim
The villagers here are however busy harvesting wheat, sowing corn and planting
Paucity of irrigation is a worrying concern for them.
They have no time to engage in political campaigns and participate in
Rather, they are dogged with the problems of irrigation, chemical fertilisers, seeds, clean drinking water etc."Political leaders visit us
during election and assure many things, but do not deliver as promised and our problems persist," Dil Bahadur Sapkota from Torakhet of Beni
Municipality said.Sapkota who was threshing wheat expressed worry why agriculture sector was not developed though roadway and communication
saw relative progress."Now, there is three-tiers of government
Why has the local government failed to become the government of farmers? We're desperately waiting for facilities of irrigation,
fertilisers, improved seeds and compensation for loss of crops caused by hailstone and floods
So, the election does not attract us," he explained.There is one municipality and five rural municipalities in Myagdi district while the
number of wards stands at 45.Except wards 7 and 8 of Beni Municipality, other local levels are rural ones
Ninety per cent of the voters here are farmers from rural areas and associated with agriculture.Farmers' apathy to political campaigning is
not only their busy schedule because of the harvest season, but also due to the leaders' indifference to the implementation of promises they
made regarding farmer's rights, according to Chitra Bahadur Purja from Raghuganga Rural Municipality."We're busy with agricultural work,
which is more important than election," he added.Moreover, another farmer from Bagarphant, Tika Bahadur Karki, said, "If I get break from
work, I may go to vote.But I've no time to listen to leaders' speeches anymore."A version of this article appears in the print on April 19,
2022, of The Himalayan Times
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com