Polling material carried as head loads to hill area booths in Namakkal district

NAMAKKAL: The people’s demand for a ‘pucca’ road to three hill hamlets in a remote corner of rocky Namakkal district has fallen on deaf years for over 50 years now, or so it seems.

It is an arduous 11-km long uphill climb, cutting through thorny bushes, thickets and pointed stones to the hamlets of Melur, Keelur and Kedamalai perched atop Bodhamalai in Namakkal district, an aspect that manifests itself before every poll.

These three hill villages which have 1,207 voters - they fall under Rasipuram Assembly segment of Namakkal Lok Sabha constituency-, are serviced by two polling booths, thanks to the Election Commission’s (EC) munificence.

But with lack of a proper road, the polling materials required for Thursday election, including EVM and other paraphernalia were carried as head-loads by polling officials, accompanied by Revenue and Police personnel, on Wednesday, walking all their way up to Bodhamalai, unmindful of the summer heat.

While this journey is a photo-op election after election, it is anybody’s guess when these three hill hamlets in Namakkal district will get road connectivity.

Another poll officials party carried the EVMs’ and polling materials on their heads too on Wednesday in neighbouring Erode district, to enable 134 voters of another hill hamlet atop Kathiripatti hills, exercise their franchise in the 2019 general elections. They were in earlier years travelling an incredible 120-km to their assigned polling booth near Bargur hills.

This hill hamlet falling under Andhiyur Assembly segment in Tirupur Lok Sabha constituency, has been since the 2016 Assembly elections the facility of a small polling booth there, in response to a report highlighted in DC on the people’s plight. But here too, lack of roads means the polling officials having to literally shoulder the weight so that a polling booth uphill becomes a reality in time.