Elections force another disruption for Chirakkal Krishibhavan in Kannur

Kannur: As the local body polls draw near, the staff at the Krishibhavan Office in Chirakkal Panchayat, Valapattanam, are once again packing up their desks. For the next two days, their office will turn into a polling booth and regular operations will resume only after the polling process is over.

The office had been shifted to its current location, the cultural centre building of the panchayat, after the old building was declared unfit three years ago. The decision followed an inspection ordered when an employee suffered injuries after a portion of the ceiling collapsed on him.

Although authorities had promised a new building for the Agriculture Office, the plan never materialised. As a result, officials are forced to vacate their workspace every time an election comes around.

During the previous Lok Sabha polls, the office had to operate from a rented building for nearly a month. This time, however, officials are relieved that the disruption will be shorter, as they expect to return after just two days, which also includes the holiday declared for polling stations.