Highest polling station set up at Lahaul-Spiti village

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, March 17

The country’s highest polling station has been set up at a height of 15,256 ft at Tashigang village in Lahaul-Spiti.

The polling station falls under the Mandi parliamentary constituency, the second largest constituency in terms of area in India. It comprises 17 Assembly segments.

The polling station will cover two villages Tashigang and Gete, situated just 29.3 km from the India-China border.

There are 48 voters in these two villages — 30 men and 18 women. According to official sources, earlier the polling station was set up at Government Primary School in Gete village. But when the authorities found that the building of the school was unsafe, they shifted the polling station to Tashigang.

Earlier, the polling station at Hikkim in Lahaul-Spiti was the highest in the country. The village is situated at a height of 14,567 ft. But now the one at Tashigang is the highest. The area has road connectivity, but due to heavy snowfall, there is no vehicular movement these days.

Ashwani Kumar Chaudhari, Deputy Commissioner, Lahaul-Spiti, said: “As soon as the weather improves, the road to Tashigang will be restored to traffic so that voters do not face any inconvenience.” He said facilities like power/water supply were available at the polling station. Election officials will use a satellite phone to keep themselves updated.

The DC stated that the authorities were focusing on setting up a model polling station and efforts were on in this direction.