@the_news_21
New Delhi: It is often that the kind of arduous often risky journeys that the polling staff of the Election Commission of India (ECI) undertakes, just to reach out to electors residing in remotest, hilly and often treacherous terrain, so that the electors can exercise their right of franchise. Even if it means there are only a handful of electors at the polling booth!
In Uttarakhand the situation is no different especially in snow-clad remote hilly regions of Pithoragarh, Uttarkashi, Dharchula, Badrinath and other assembly constituencies. Uttarakhand goes to polls in a single phase on February 14 to elect a new state assembly. Counting of votes and results will be declared on March 10.
Here according to tweets by Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Uttarakhand, they had to dispatch the polling parties three to two days in advance. In most cases the polling party has to trek on foot for many kilometres on end just to reach the designated polling booth.
In a move that is a huge relief for senior citizens above the age of 80 years and physically challenged (Divyang) voters, the CEO Uttarakhand has provided a home postal ballot facility for about 15,940 such voters in the state.
One can understand the pain, the hardship that the ECI polling staff had to undertake in Uttarakhand is that some polling parties had to walk on foot for 18 Kms to Mannar polling booth located at a Primary School in Dharchula assembly constituency. Similarly, the polling parties had to walk on foot for 13 Kms in Purela assembly constituency. While the polling party had to walk 20 Kms to reach Dumak polling booth located in Higher Secondary School in Badrinath assembly constituency.
According to one tweet of CEO Uttarakhand, there are 262 polling stations which are located off the motorable road and are in excess of 5 Kms walking distance, out of which, 33 polling booths are in excess of 10 Kms of walking distance.
