Employees recount polling duty travails

Hyderabad: The state government employees who performed duties as booth level officers (BLOs) and other polling officers are a miffed lot. Women officers have been more vocal. "There was no water, the toilets were stinking and we were left to our mercy," said Sunita M K, a teacher.

For the first time, the employees of United India Insurance, National Insurance and Oriental Insurance were deployed as Other Polling Officers (OPO). Shailaja, who was posted at booth No G 96 at Vattepally said, "From 8:30 a.m. of April 10 till April 11 we were treated badly. There was no consideration and there was none to look into our needs."

Madhavi (name changed on request), an employee of Oriental Insurance, said, "We were told to take the EVM boxes and were taken to the outskirts and dumped there like animals. On April 11 we were just told to return and no transport was provided."

Narrating her experience, Lekha Nair, a teacher, said, "We requested the drivers of school buses and travelled 7 km and reached a spot from where our relatives came and picked us up at 2 am in the night. It was a horrifying experience."

No respite for heart patients

In spite of requests from employees who have been suffering from chronic illness, they were posted for duties. K Madhavan, an employee of Oriental Insurance who is to retire next month had requested for exemption citing health issues, He says, "I underwent a heart operation recently and requested but I was forced to attend."