DHARMAPURI: A tractor was deployed to safely ferry tribal residents of Alakattu to the polling station at Erimalai village where they cast their votes on Friday.
Usually, the residents of Alakattu tribal settlement in the Pennagaram Block of Dharmapuri district have to travel for over five kilometres on arduous hilly terrain through dense forest to reach their neighbouring village of Erimalai where the polling station is located.
With the intense heatwave and the risk of encountering wild elephants, the Dharmapuri district administration had engaged a tractor to transport voters to and from Erimalai.
The initiative has delighted the villagers. Speaking to TNIE, S Pasuvaraj from Allakattu village said, “On Thursday the EVM and VVPAT machines were brought to our village in tractors. This was the first time that a vehicle was used to bring any equipment to Erimalai. On Friday a tractor was used to transport voters to the polling station. Otherwise, we have to walk for over one-and-a-half hours to reach the polling station. We thank the administration for the effort and for making the polling easier for us,” he said.
When TNIE spoke to officials at Pennagaram they said, “Previously Collector K Santhi had been notified about the problems in Vatuvanahalli panchayat, specifically Alakattu and how people had to walk to Erimalai. Following this inspection was made and an alternative path was planned and tractors were used to transport voters,” they said.