1 week ago
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NAGAYALANKA
It is a tough task for the police to ensure smooth conduct of the general elections in inaccessible villages where critical polling stations are located in the island villages of Nagayalanka mandal in Krishna district. There is only one punt to shift the forces, election staff and the polling material to the booths situated in these habitations.
With previous incidents of hurling of bombs and a murder in Edurumondi, Nachugunta and Elachetladibba Panchayats in the Avanigadda Assembly Constituency, the polling stations in the fishermen hamlets have been put under critical category, said local people.
There are about 8,000 voters in six polling stations located in the island habitations.
“There is only one punt to cross the river. So we plan to deploy forces in advance,” said the Krishna district Superintendent of Police, Adnan Nayeem Asmi.
“In addition to the law and order police, two companies of the Andhra Pradesh Special Police (APSP), and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will be deployed. Web casting and videography will be arranged in the polling booths there,” Mr. Adnan Nayeem told The Hindu on Thursday.
Security has been reviewed and flag marches conducted in the island habitations besides coordination meetings with the community elders for peaceful conduct of the elections, said the SP who visited the critical polling stations, and reviewed the security.
The police, security forces and the polling staff would be shifted to the booths one day in advance, along with the polling material, said the Avanigadda Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), P. Muralidhar.
“The ‘pantu’ starts at 7 a.m. every day and the last trip is at 7 p.m. We have to shift the EVMs safely amid tight security by evening on the huge wooden raft,” he added.
“The entire polling process will be captured through web casting in the inaccessible polling stations in the island villages,” said a Booth Level Officer (BLO) Merugupala Mounica.
Locals demand bridge
Meanwhile, local people demand construction of a bridge across the river to ensure free movement of people and produce from the island villages.
“Our main demand is construction of a bridge across the Krishna, which has been pending for the last few years, and filling Pedda Cheruvu to solve the drinking problem,” said a woman, Saikam Naga Lakshmi, of Elichetladibba village.
“We have to cross the Krishna and another tributary of the river to reach Elichetladibba village from Nagayalanka. Whenever the river is in spate, it is not possible to use boats. We need a bridge immediately,” she added.
It is the same case with people from Harijanawada, Brahmaiah Harimula, Gollamanda, Zinkapalem, Krishnapuram, Bodduvarimula, Yesupuram, and Sabbinenicheruvu villages who visit Avanigadda and Nagayalanka every day, said Edurumondi Sarpanch Kanna Venkateswara Rao.
The island habitations lack proper transportation, drinking water, education and other facilities. The successive governments have neglected the development of fishermen villages, said a woman, K. Ratnam.
