Bharuch - In a bid to ensure every vote counts, the district election machinery has made special arrangements for the 254 voters of Aliya Bet, a remote island surrounded by water on all sides in Wagra tehsil of Bharuch district, Gujarat, to easily cast their votes in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. A polling station has been set up in a temporary shipping container to facilitate voting for the residents.

Aliya Bet, located at the confluence of the Arabian Sea and Narmada Maiya, has faced challenges in voting accessibility in the past. After the last assembly elections, the district election machinery once again made this facility available to voters, enabling them to vote near their place of residence. This initiative aligns with the Election Commission of India's vision that 'every vote counts,' emphasizing the importance of voting rights in a democracy.

The island, 17.70 km long and 4.82 km wide in the delta region of the Narmada River, is connected to Hansot by land but falls under the jurisdiction of the Kaladara Juth Gram Panchayat, coming under the 68-Kaladara-02 of the 151-Wagra assembly constituency. Despite being attached to the mainland, the geographical location of Aliya Bet presents unique challenges in providing basic facilities like polling stations due to the absence of state or central government buildings. Therefore, temporary arrangements, such as using shipping containers for voting, have been implemented.

The efforts to establish a polling booth in a shipping container were initiated during the last Assembly Election-2022 under the guidance of District Collector Tushar Sumera. The initiative was well-received by the Election Commission of India and the community. After the elections, the container is converted into a primary school, benefiting approximately 50 children from Bet who are currently receiving education there.

District Election Officer and Collector Tushar Sumera emphasized the importance of providing basic electoral facilities as per the guidelines of the Election Commission, with a commitment to further extend facilities as needed.

Mahamadbhai Hasan Jat, a resident and leader of the Jat community in Bet, praised the unique facility for voting, highlighting the challenges they faced previously, such as traveling to Kaladara village by boat to vote. The provision of the shipping container polling booth has made it easier for residents to fulfill their democratic duty.

Despite facing challenges in accessibility and transportation, the residents of Aliya Bet remain committed to participating in the democratic process. With the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the special voting booth in the shipping container serves as a symbol of democracy's resilience and inclusivity, ensuring that every vote and every voter in the remote island of Aliya Bet matters.