Finally, remotest polling station may see EVMs arrive by road
Ashish Roy | TNN | Updated: Mar 11, 2019, 07:41 IST
EVMs and polls officials travelled to Binagunda by chopper earlier. A tarred road was recently laid to the tri... Read MoreWhen Naxal-affected Gadchiroli-Chimur Lok Sabha constituency goes to polls next month, Binagunda is likely to see for the first time EVMs and poll officials arrive by road. For, a tarred road was only recently laid to the remote tribal village, over 200 km from the Gadchiroli district headquarters, near the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh boundary.
Binagunda along with Khamada village of Amravati district is among Maharashtra’s most remote polling stations, where holding an election itself is a huge challenge owing to various factors and risks. During the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Maoists had opened fire at a helicopter in Binagunda, a week after 17 cops were killed in a nearby village, Laheri. Chopper was the only way polling materials and officials could be safely taken to the village then.
Maoists have a strong presence in the region as it is the gateway to their stronghold Abhujmad in Chhattisgarh. Due to the resultant fear, Binagunda did not have a sarpanch or upsarpanch for long. “We created an atmosphere of security and people elected the two office-bearers in the 2018 gram panchayat election,” Gadchiroli collector Shekhar Singh said, adding that police personnel would be posted in the village for the Lok Sabha polls.
The tribal village has 365 voters, including 196 women, up from 338 voters for 2014 elections. Singh said 2014 general election saw nearly 38.5% voter turnout in the village. “However, we hope it will increase this time,” he said adding that the district administration is making all efforts to create awareness among voters. “We have appointed the village kotwal as the booth level officer (BLO). He helps new voters fill the voter forms. We put up banners and posters in the village to encourage villagers to register themselves,” he said.
Similar efforts to reach out to voters in another remote village are being made in Amravati. Khamada village in Melghat area of the district still does not have tar road connectivity.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, polling material and personnel were sent by bus up to Rangubeli (the nearest village connected by a tar road) and then by jeep to Khamada, said Amravati collector Shailesh Nawal. The village now has 276 voters (147 male and 129 female), an increase of 14 over the last general elections. The collector said his administration had carried out voter awareness drive in the village and is expecting positive results. “In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections the polling percentage was 66.41%,” he added.
Binagunda along with Khamada village of Amravati district is among Maharashtra’s most remote polling stations, where holding an election itself is a huge challenge owing to various factors and risks. During the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Maoists had opened fire at a helicopter in Binagunda, a week after 17 cops were killed in a nearby village, Laheri. Chopper was the only way polling materials and officials could be safely taken to the village then.
Maoists have a strong presence in the region as it is the gateway to their stronghold Abhujmad in Chhattisgarh. Due to the resultant fear, Binagunda did not have a sarpanch or upsarpanch for long. “We created an atmosphere of security and people elected the two office-bearers in the 2018 gram panchayat election,” Gadchiroli collector Shekhar Singh said, adding that police personnel would be posted in the village for the Lok Sabha polls.
The tribal village has 365 voters, including 196 women, up from 338 voters for 2014 elections. Singh said 2014 general election saw nearly 38.5% voter turnout in the village. “However, we hope it will increase this time,” he said adding that the district administration is making all efforts to create awareness among voters. “We have appointed the village kotwal as the booth level officer (BLO). He helps new voters fill the voter forms. We put up banners and posters in the village to encourage villagers to register themselves,” he said.
Similar efforts to reach out to voters in another remote village are being made in Amravati. Khamada village in Melghat area of the district still does not have tar road connectivity.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, polling material and personnel were sent by bus up to Rangubeli (the nearest village connected by a tar road) and then by jeep to Khamada, said Amravati collector Shailesh Nawal. The village now has 276 voters (147 male and 129 female), an increase of 14 over the last general elections. The collector said his administration had carried out voter awareness drive in the village and is expecting positive results. “In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections the polling percentage was 66.41%,” he added.
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