Remote hamlet gets polling station for first time in Maharashtra

Amid ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024 a remote hamlet Burudmal under Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra registered a 95 per cent turnout on Tuesday reported news agency PTINonagenarian Baburao Akhade was among 41 eligible voters from the remote hamlet Burudmal under Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra who for the first time didnt have to trek 12 km to cast their votes which was the case until 2019 elections reported PTIVoting was held for 11 of 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 on Tuesday This is the first time that officials established a polling station in a nearby school for eligible electors enabling us to take part in the festival of democracy elections in our hamletLocated 35 km away from Bhor town in Velhe tehsil of Pune district Burudmal is the smallest polling station with 41 eligible voters under the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency By 3 pm on Tuesday 39 voters including a firsttimer had exercised their franchise registering a 95 per cent turnout reported PTIThis has happened for the first time in our lifetime that a polling station has been set up near our houses here in Burudmal Till the last elections we all had to go on foot to Sangvi Velvade Khore valley to cast votes which is almost 12 km from here90yearold Akhade the seniormost voter among the flock told PTIBut this time a polling station was set up in a school located just next to our houses giving us muchrequired comfort in the scorching summer heat he saidA youngster Mahesh Gore claimed this is for the first time after Independence that a polling station was established in the hamletEarlier we used to trek and cross two rivers on a boat to reach the polling station which was 12km away Voters including senior citizens and women used to find it difficult to get there Considering all these hardships we had appealed to the SubDivisional Officer Bhor division to set up a polling station The administration acted swiftly Today 40 of the 41 voters exercised their franchise here he told PTIAccording to villagers the population of Burudmal is 150 and most of the young residents work in Mumbai But more than 20 voters hired a bus from Maharashtras capital city and reached Burudmal just to cast their votes they said Priyanka Akhade who works in Mumbai was part of the group told PTI I am voting for the first time I am very fortunate that I could vote in the polling station in my villageAnother voter Laxman Akhade said he was feeling very happy for his 90yearold father who got the chance to cast his vote in his hamlet Since the government provided us the polling station we showed our commitment by doing 100 per cent voting he told PTI Bhausaheb Turkunde a lone teacher who works at the Zilla Parishad primary school in Burudmal said the terrain is difficultMost of the times people living here had to trek to nearby villages to bring goods but a motorable road has been built now he saidRajendra Kachare subdivisional officer told PTI that they were moved by the determination of villagers to participate in the voting processAs per the guidance from our returning officer for Baramati constituency Kavita Dwivedi a polling station was set up here 95 per cent of voters cast their franchise at the polling station he told PTIWith inputs from PTI