Uttarakhand voters will crossover to Nepal to reach their polling booths

The voters of Thapaliya Khera hamlet of Champawat district would have to crossover to Nepalese territory to reach the polling booth for the panchayat elections which are being held in the area on October 5.

The reason for this is the lack of a bridge on the Sharda river which the residents of the area need to cross to reach polling booths.

The Thapaliya Khera hamlet located in Sailanigoth village in Champawat district is surrounded by Nepalese territory from three sides, whereas the fourth side is surrounded by Sharda river. Due to this villagers cross onto Nepalese territory to reach the Indian side.

“Due to difficult terrain no polling booth has been set up at Thapalia khera. The main booth for the area has been set up at Sailanigoth village. We have sent proposal to state election commission to permit us to set up a polling booth for Panchayat elections in the Thapalia khera hamlet also,” said Surendra Narayan Pandey, district magistrate Champawat and district election officer for the panchayat polls.

He said special security arrangements have been made in all 35 polling booths that have been declared as sensitive in the district.

Meanwhile, two bridges on Indo-Nepal border at Daura and Jhoolaghat were closed and the Indo-Nepal border was sealed 48 hours before the polls.

Panchayat elections are scheduled in both the bordering districts-Champawat and Pithoragarh-in the first phase on October 5.

Jogdande said a total of 256 polling stations have been set up for 253 villages in all three blocks that are going to polls on October 5. “13 polling parties who have to reach remote polling booths of Koota, Jamtari, Baseri and Garzia have left on Thursday while 93 polling parties who have to reach comparatively less remote polling booths have left on Friday,” he said.