Hikkim, country’s highest polling booth, records 89% turnout

SHIMLA: With an impressive voter turnout of 89%, the villagers of Hikkim, the country’s highest polling booth at 15,000 ft in the state’s Lahaul and Spiti district, proved that geographical hurdles cannot stop one from exercising their right.

The remote polling station comprising Komic and Hikkim villages has 194 registered voters, of which, 101 are male voters and 93 are female voters.

“In all 84 male voters and 80 female voters, exercised their right to franchise,” said Mohan Singh, the booth-level officer.

“Though voting started on a very sluggish note, there is a lot of enthusiasm among the voters. Low temperatures in the area are the main reason why people don’t prefer to come out of their houses in the morning,” Mohan Singh added.

What’s surprising is that men and women in equal numbers turned up to exercise their right to franchise.

“People in the village are well aware of their rights and know what the voting really means,” says Thakchen, a 73-year-old voter.

The village had problems in the plenty, though it had road connectivity and a post office. “Electricity was the main concern for us till about three years ago but now solar panels have been installed,” Thakchen says.

But health facilities are still a concern for them. “We have been demanding a health centre in our village for a long time now,” says Tenzin another villager.

In the 2007, the village registered 83% polling while in 2012, it recorded 84% turnout.

The administration has decided to reward villages with a good voting record.