Thu Nov 21 00:08:21 UTC 2024: ## Uran Residents Boycott Maharashtra Assembly Elections Over 40-Year-Long Rehabilitation Delay

**Uran, Maharashtra, November 20, 2024** – Residents of Sheva Koliwada in Uran, Raigad district, boycotted the Maharashtra Assembly elections on Wednesday, protesting a four-decade-long delay in their resettlement. Displaced in 1984 due to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) township project, approximately 600 families have been living in cramped, substandard transit camps.

The boycott follows a report in *The Hindu* highlighting the plight of the villagers, who were promised compensation and resettlement after being moved 12 km from their original village. Despite promises, they remain in dilapidated eight-by-eight-foot homes with single-brick walls and tin roofs. The villagers claim they have lost their traditional livelihoods, including fishing, salt panning, and farming.

Following the report, election officials visited the village, promising to address their concerns after the election. However, the residents cite intimidation tactics from political parties as a major reason for their boycott. They allege the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) threatened them with job losses and the cancellation of vital documents like Aadhaar cards, Voter IDs, and ration cards if they didn’t vote. These allegations were corroborated by several villagers, including senior citizens and first-time voters.

While the Deputy Collector assured an investigation into the intimidation claims, the police reportedly took no action. The Returning Officer, however, denied any such incidents occurred, citing a 40% voter turnout.

The Raigad district Deputy Collector (Rehabilitation), Bharat Waghmare, stated that 10 hectares of land have been earmarked for resettlement and a proposal submitted to the central government for approval. He anticipates resettlement by December 2025, providing each family with substantial land plots depending on their previous occupations.

The villagers, who also boycotted the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, expressed deep disillusionment with the government’s failure to deliver on its promises, questioning the meaning of independence after 77 years of struggle for basic rights. Their case has even reached the Bombay High Court, but to no avail. The ongoing situation underscores the continuing challenges faced by those displaced by development projects in India.

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