Porters in Arunachal Pradesh – An important link between voting parties, voters

The assembly polls will be counted on June 2 and the Lok Sabha polls will be counted on June 4. (representative)

Itanaga:

A remnant of British India, the Auxiliary Labor Corps (ALC), also known as porters, remains an important link between the electoral staff and the people of Arunachal Pradesh as they are tasked with transporting polling materials, ration items and transporting EVMs to remote areas in the mountainous state, officials said. Some 3,000 ALCs have been deployed to assist polling parties in reaching the state’s 228 polling stations, which they say are nearly inaccessible.

“We depend on them to transport election materials to inaccessible polling stations where walking processions are required,” Chief Electoral Officer Pawan Kumar Sain said.

Joint Chief Electoral Officer Liken Koyu said the ALC trudged across the state’s rugged and almost inaccessible terrain to act as a bridge between the government and the people to ensure a smooth voting process.

The ALC was originally designated by the British to transport supplies. After the statehood of Arunachal Pradesh in 1987, regular appointments to the ALC ceased. They are now recruited on a temporary basis.

Koyu said the services of the ALC were needed for the transportation of Public Distribution System (PDS) materials and the opening of new administrative centers during the polls.

In 2019, election offices employed 2,100 ALCs, compared with 1,400 deployed during the 2014 elections, officials said.

He said: “About 3,000 ALCs will be introduced this time to assist polling personnel at 228 polling stations in the state.” In addition, temporary workers will also be deployed to assist election personnel.

Koyu added that the ALCs are deployed by their respective District Electoral Officers (DEOs) upon request.

The declaration of results is delayed at several seats as the EVMs are transported by the ALC to the counting centre, which usually requires a arduous journey of more than three days.

Arunachal Pradesh has 228 remote and nearly inaccessible polling stations, and election officials have to travel long distances on foot.

Of these, 61 required two days of walking and seven required three days.

Koyu said the state electoral body planned to deploy at least four ALCs to each of the 228 polling stations to cope with logistical challenges and acknowledged the critical role played by these unsung heroes in promoting the democratic process in the state.

Arunachal Pradesh will go to polls for two Lok Sabha constituencies and 60 assembly constituencies simultaneously on April 19.

The assembly polls will be counted on June 2 and the Lok Sabha polls will be held on June 4.

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