Wheelchair is there, but not available for elderly voters

Despite holding a walking stick, this aged woman was finding it difficult to walk inside St. Joseph Carmel Matric School in Aruppukottai to reach the polling booth for casting her vote.

The polling station with three booths was teeming with voters, polling officials and block level officers. However, there was no one to help the elderly voter who had come alone. She did not get any help until a woman Home Guard came to her aid. The woman held her hand and took her to the polling booth.

But, in the far corner of the verandah of the school was lying a huge carton fastened tightly. The symbol printed on the carton suggested that it was a wheel-chair. It was already 10.15 a.m. Even three hours after polling started, the wheel-chair had not been taken out.

The Hindu Principal Photographer, G. Moorthi, drew the attention of the medical team and a woman polling officer about the wheelchair provided at the polling station left to disuse. However, the woman after having a closer look said, “It is not a wheel-chair” and left the spot.

Then the issue was taken up with the BLOs sitting at the entrance to distribute voter slips to the voters.

One of them pointed the photographer towards a village assistant. At last, the man unpacked the carton and pulled out a brand new wheel chair.

“No one had come asking for the wheel chair. Hence, it has not been taken out,” he said.

Despite various attempts made by the Election Commission to help the differently abed and elderly voters to cast their votes - through postal ballots, special vehicles for pick-up and drop, free bus ride and provision of wheel chair, the lackadaisical attitude of a few made a facility unreachable to those required it the most.

Wheelchair is there, but not available for elderly voters

Brand new wheelchair remains unpacked from a carton lying in a polling station in Aruppukottai