Heklang residents have demanded that the polling station be moved, citing the impact on health services.
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Locals of Purba Khola Rural Municipality-6, Heklang have objected to the placement of polling stations at the health post. When security personnel including polling officers reached the center, they obstructed the placement of voting materials.
They had earlier filed a petition to not have a polling station at the Heklang Health Post in Heklang and to relocate it. 'We filed a petition at the election office but it was not heard,' said local Hari Bahadur Bahraghare.
He said that after the demand was not addressed, they had demanded that election materials be placed at the nearby child welfare primary school, which was previously designated as the polling station. 'We have allowed it to be held on Monday only out of humanitarian reasons,' he said, 'We will not allow the polling center and venue to be held under any circumstances.'
There is a birthing center at the health post. Emergency services are provided. Locals said that they have demanded that it not be placed here as it could affect health services if used as a polling station. They say that it is wrong to place it at the health post despite having an alternative.
Health post chief Jayaprakash Shah is on leave. There are two buildings in the Balhit Primary School, which is 50 meters away. Representatives of all parties in Heklang had already been demanding that the polling station not be set up at the Heklang health post. Dhan Bahadur Saru of UML, Durga Bahadur Thapa of Congress, Hari Bahadur Bahraghere of Nepali Communist Party, and others have demanded that it not be set up.
The health post was designated as a polling station in the 2079 House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly elections. But after locals protested that it should not be at the health post, it was kept in the interests of the child, said Anami Deepa Hiski Thapa. 'There are dates for deliveries at the health post on the 19th and 21st,' she said.
Locals say that all election materials are safe under the supervision of security personnel and that they do not want to disrupt the election.
There are two polling stations at the health post. Polling officer Devi Prasad Basyal has been deployed at the ‘A’ center and Nityanand Khanal at the ‘B’ center. They said that they are waiting for the decision of the election officer’s office with all the materials. ‘We are staying at the health post,’ said polling officer Khanal, ‘now we will act according to the conclusions drawn from the remaining all-party meetings and discussions.’
Palpa’s Assistant Chief District Officer Rishiram Subedi said that a meeting of the Chief District Officer, Superintendent of Police and other security personnel had been held on this issue. He said that the center was kept at the health post because the building was unsafe.
Purbakhola Rural Municipality Health Branch Chief Mohan Dhakal said that a decision would be reached only after reaching the health post and discussing with the locals.
Superintendent of Police Dipendra Tharu Panjiyar said that the conclusion reached after the local all-party, all-sided meeting would be the main one. There are 1,701 voters in this center. There are 840 people in ‘A’ center and 841 to 1,701 in ‘B’ center.
