National
It takes 8 hours for Siddara locals to vote!
Many voters of Siddara region in Arghakhanchi district have complained about the voting centre being too far away from their area.Birendra KC
Many voters of Siddara region in Arghakhanchi district have complained about the voting centre being too far away from their area.
The voting centre at Pakuri is at least eight hours walk from Siddara, now a part of Sitaganga Municipality. The region occupies 27 per cent area of the district. The villages of Lamidmar, Naya Basti, Lauri, Silingkhola, Dumsi, Dihi, Samkot, Batule, Unaya, Patle and Lisinkuna, among others, are located in this region.
Gyaneshwor Belbase, a 61-year-old voter from the region, said reaching the voting centre, participating in the elections and returning home would take them at least two days.
Many voters have planned to reach Pakuri on the eve of the election day and camp there overnight to participate in the elections.
“The people in my village are planning travel in group. We will be carrying foodstuffs that we plan to cook when we camp near the voting centre on the eve of the election,” said Belbase. Eighty-four-year-old Jagat Bahadur Tamrakar said he too would be joining the villagers when they travel to Pakuri to vote.
“I am taking the trouble of travelling far to cast my vote because, like other villagers, I want this region to develop,” he said. The voters of Siddara said their requests to the District Education Office and the Election Commission to set up a voting centre close to their area were ignored.
Only 445 voters from the region had participated in the local elections.
District Election Officer Kedarnath Sharma said with the elections just 10 days ahead, the election body cannot add a new voting centre.