VADODARA, Aug 29: Road Nahi to vote nahi and Rasta, pani ane gutter mate chutnino bahishkar. More than 40 housing societies near Samta have decided that offence is the best part of defence. And in election-time, around 4,000 voters will hit where it hurts the most: the ballot-box.``Protest is the last resort'', says Mukul Rawal, a member of the Jagrut Federation, a forum of 40 societies that have been without motorable roads, drainage and pipeline water for more than five years now. Representations to local councillors and the Vadodara Municipal Corporation have had no effect.According to officials, the water and drainage lines do not extend to this south-western corner of the city; roads are yet to be laid because encroachments have not been cleared.Residents - mostly employees of public sector undertakings and government offices - of Viral Park, Jasmine, Chamunda, Gayatri, Gangotri, Shivam Park and several other societies say they have received only empty promises so far.``Jayaben Thakkar promised to spend Rs 7 lakhs to make this area liveable'', claims Rekha Rawal, resident of Viral Park. ``So far, we haven't seen a single paisa. We've just become used to living with the problems.''The societies make do with water from individual bores - each of which costs Rs 25,000, besides Rs 500 every month in electricity charges - and catch-pits for disposal of domestic waste. ``The water we drink is not potable'', says Dhimant Joshi, an active member of the federation. ``Civic amenities are to the people what blood and oxygen are to the body. We survive without either.''``We expect politicians to listen to us'', says Devendra Thakkar, vice-president of the Viral Park Society, while agreeing that civic amenities had little to do with parliamentary elections. Was the decision to abstain from voting unanimous? Rawal says even if some of them do vote, ``the voting percentage will certainly be affected''. Points out Rajendra Pandya, ``If a candidate can lose by 17 votes, the number of voters here can make a difference.''According to the residents, this is the only way to make the administration sit up and listen to their problems. ``After all, we've been paying water and conservancy taxes for the last five years'', say Gayatri and Sanjay Vyas of Suman Park. ``Builders might lure people for their own advantage, but how can the VMC give building permission without making ensuring civic amenities'', asks another resident.According to City Engineer B S Trapasia, however, people have to pay taxes irrespective of their access to civic facilities. ``The VMC will take time to extend services to all areas'', he adds. ``In the meantime, people can make do with borewells and catch-pits.''So far as the roads are concerned, local BJP councillors Yogesh Patel and Kaushik Patel claim that though Rs 20 lakhs has been allocated for a 18-m stretch, it cannot be built unless 50 slum-dwellers are shifted elsewhere. An alternative site is out-of-bounds following a stay order.That the blackmailing tactics are working was apparent on Saturday night, when not one, but both councillors met the residents are promised them that drainage and water lines would be laid in the near future.``Around eight banners have been removed following the assurance'', says former federation secretary Natwar Makwana. ``People may vote. But to be certain, we have to wait till polling day.''While BJP candidate for the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat Jayaben Thakkar - to whom Kaushik claims to have referred the matter - was not available for comment, city BJP chief Krishnakant Shah says that this was not the way to protest. Congress election conveners Dalsukh Prajapati holds the BJP squarely responsible for the situation, and has promised to meet the Samta residents on Tuesday.
