Kollam: Two abandoned factory buildings here have been chosen as polling booths for the Lok Sabha elections. Reptiles, stray dogs and anti-socials likely frequent the closed-down cashew processing factory. These abandoned ready-to-collapse structures with overgrown weeds are located at Umayanelloor within the Kollam Lok Sabha constituency.
Ridiculous though, the Revenue Department has identified these decayed structures without a compound wall in Mayyanad panchayat as ‘safe’ polling booths for the Lok Sabha elections.
The buildings, which fall within the Iravipuram Assembly constituency, had functioned as polling stations in the previous elections. But now they are in tatters and have become more of an eyesore. The cashew factory buildings have been listed as polling stations on the website of the State Electoral Officer.
Allegations are rife that the authorities have not inspected the safety and security aspects of the factories before marking them as polling station. The shabby properties cannot guarantee a safe lodging facility for the polling officials nor are they ideal to store polling equipment that demands high degree of security.
Moreover, the polling booths are not located in easily accessible spots for the voters.
The election wing of the Revenue authorities has informed that it is now planning to shift to the booths to a much safer location.
