The Valparai Assembly segment of the Pollachi Parliamentary constituency is know for its picturesque vistas in the Anamali hills in the Western Ghats. However, for voters from many interior places of Valparai, exercising their franchise involves crossing several hurdles.
R. Kittan, a 55-year-old Pulayar man from the Keel Poonachi tribal settlement in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), and his wife had to walk seven km from their settlement to the government high school in Attakatti to cast their votes. “We had to walk to the Pollachi - Valparai road due to a lack of tar-topped roads and commuting services here,” he said.
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