COIMBATORE: School teachers assigned election duty in Coimbatore district have demanded that election officers conduct election training for them in Valparai instead of Pollachi.

Akalya K (name changed), a primary school teacher in Valparai, told the TNIE that teachers from the hilly and forested Valparai region have been forced to attend the election training in the Pollachi constituency.

"The venue for the training programme for teachers from all the 10 assembly constituencies, except Valparai, in Coimbatore district, has been fixed within the limits of the respective constituencies.

However, the venue for those from Valparai has been fixed at a private college in Pollachi," she alleged. Another teacher told the TNIE, "Around 300 teachers have been forced to travel at least 100 km from various parts of Valparai to reach the venue in Pollachi.

They face practical difficulties such as getting buses or having to leave much earlier, etc. In particular, female teachers and those with health issues are suffering."

She urged that the election training planned next week be conducted at the Government Arts and Science College in Valparai to avoid unnecessary travel. Repeated attempts to reach the top officers from the election department in Coimbatore went in vain.