272 people in the East Khasi Hills district to vote for LS poll for the first time

Sixty-seven years after India's Independence and 40 years after Meghalaya attained statehood, a group of 272 people in East Khasi Hills district will be casting their votes for the first time in a Lok Sabha poll while their 7000 odd neighbours would not.

These 7000 plus eligible voters, who have been living for a long time in this part of the state, have never voted in any election, as they are not registered voters.

Of these people living in 14 villages along the Indo-Bangla border, only these 272 were registered with the Election Commission and got EPIC cards, Secretary of a local village council Brostar Ora told PTI.

The 272 lucky people voted only twice in their lives -- in the Assembly election last year and the just concluded autonomous council election.

The state election department said it is aware about the huge population which is yet to get voting rights.

But they have to come forward by themselves and claim their rights from the sub-divisional office, Additional Chief Election Officer B Dhar told PTI.

These 7000 odd people included Garo people and about 1500 non-indigenous tribals displaced after Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.

They all live in 14 villages along the international border since time immemorial but are unaware of the facilities offered by the administration.

"Original land owners had rented out their land to them in return for a share of the crops these people produce," said Ora, secretary of Shella village council.