Voters of India's '1st polling booth' in Seemari village near LoC demand basic amenities

By Rajnish Singh
Kupwara (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 30 : A day ahead of third and final phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, over 400 voters from Seemari village, home to India's "first polling booth" along Line of Control (LoC), demand basic necessities such as better road access, free electricity, immediate healthcare services, increased ration supplies and mobile network.

Residents are urging political parties and local authorities to address these urgent issues to improve their quality of life. They express concern that leaders forget about them after elections, noting that the only support they receive in times of need--whether for employment, food, medicine, or other essentials--comes from the Indian Army deployed along the LoC.

In Seemari village, a total of 443 voters will participate, comprising 226 men and 217 women.
Mohammad Sharif, a resident of the village, said, "This is Seemari village, the last one on the India-Pakistan border, and it has India's first polling booth. We continue to vote, but we lack roads, hospitals, electricity, and stores. We have been facing many challenges. Voting is our right, and while we participate, the government needs to address our needs. Leaders come to seek our votes but often forget us after elections. Although the government support us, the funds rarely reach us; these funds seem to disappear along the way. Some leaders have visited and spoken with us, but they haven't made any commitments to meet our demands."
Another local Ali Asgar said that the village lacks road facilities, and three nearby villages--Phagwan, Trutihaji, and Kadhama--also have no road connectivity.
"When someone falls ill, they are carried on a cot to reach a nearby road to avail vehicle since it can't access the area. The sick person has to pay Rs 1,500 for a reserved vehicle from the nearest road to get to the Tangdhar hospital. Although there is a clinic here, it has no medicine, and the roads are in poor condition. We spend over Rs 500 on electricity (monthly), but we only receive four hours of supply each day. During elections, we exercise our right to vote, yet we see no benefits from it. Leaders promise us roads and electricity, but nothing materializes. We receive a 5 kg ration on a monthly basis, which isn't enough to last a month. This is the last remote village with over 400 voters, and we also lack a mobile network and job opportunities," he said.
Another resident of the Seemari village Naseer Awan added that leaders come here to seek votes and make numerous promises, but they don't return for next five years after elections are over.
"We have no way of knowing where they are in the meantime. The government does provide some support for our welfare, but we don't receive everything we need. Living on the border of India and Pakistan, our only assistance comes from the Indian Army. We owe our survival to them; they provide employment and help our people during illnesses or emergencies," he said.
He asserted further that without the Army here, they would struggle to survive.
"Although there is a hospital, it lacks medicine. We spend Rs 150 per person to travel to Tangdhar (19 km from Seemari) for medical treatment, which is difficult for us as we are very poor and often don't even have Rs 10. We also face electricity issues and can't pay our bills. If people in Delhi, where jobs are plentiful, can have free electricity, why can't we? I urge the government to grant us free electricity. While the central government has good intentions, local leaders fail to deliver these essential services," Nasir Awan, the resident of Seemari village said.
On October 1, voters in 40 assembly constituencies across Jammu and Kashmir will participate in the third and final phase of the ongoing elections. Comprehensive arrangements have been made to ensure smooth and hassle-free voting.
More than 3.9 million voters are eligible to participate in the final phase of the Assembly Elections across seven districts of the Union Territory, according to the Election Commission.
In the Kashmir division, 16 assembly constituencies will vote, including Karnah, Kupwara, and Baramulla, while the Jammu division will see elections in 24 constituencies, such as Udhampur and Samba.
A total of 5,060 polling stations will be set up across the districts of Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora, Udhampur, Samba, Kathua, and Jammu, with four election officials, including a presiding officer, assigned to each station. Over 20,000 polling staff will be deployed for this phase.
Of the 3,918,220 eligible voters, there are 2,009,033 males, 1,909,130 females, and 57 voters identifying as third gender. Additionally, 194,000 youth aged 18-19, 35,860 persons with disabilities, and 32,953 elderly voters over 85 will also be casting their votes in this phase.