Pick-up and drop facility for PwD voters: Ludhiana DEO

Reviewing the preparations of facilities for PwD voters in Ludhiana, district election officer-cum-deputy commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said as per the directions of the Election Commission of India, the decision has been taken to make the electoral process more accessible to PwD voters

Pick-up and drop facility will be provided to persons with disabilities (PwD) to and from polling booths on June 1, district election officer-cum-deputy commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said on Thursday.

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Reviewing the preparations of facilities for PwD voters in Ludhiana, Sawhney said as per the directions of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the decision has been taken to make the electoral process more accessible to PwD voters and enhance their participation in this biggest festival of the democracy. She said the district has 16,650 PwD voters in all constituencies.

Sawhney said the administration would prepare an elaborate movement and facility mechanism for the voters, including a sufficient number of vehicles in each assembly segment, ramps, wheelchairs, volunteers from NGOs and NCC, extra seating or resting points for them and other facilities, would be ensured at polling booths on June 1.

Exhorting them to avail this facility, the DEO said PwD voters could contact their respective booth level officers (BLOs) following which the vehicles will be sent to their homes/places for pick and drop facility on the polling day. She added that the district administration is committed to ensuring wider participation of PwD voters in the democratic process and said it would leave no stone unturned to facilitate the voters so that they do not face any kind of trouble while casting their voters.

She said PwD voters must come forward and exercise their right to the franchise, which would send a strong message to the others that their vote matters too. The meeting was also attended by ADC Amit Sareen, DSSO Varinder Singh Tiwana, DDF Ambar Bandopadhyay, among others.

‘Control centre will ensure free and fair LS polls’

To ensure prompt resolution of all election-related complaints, district election officer-cum-deputy commissioner Sakshi Sawhney took stock of the control centre being set up in the District Administrative Complex in Ludhiana on Thursday.

Accompanied by ADC (G) Amit Sareen and others, Sawhney said the election control centre established here would function round the clock and the staff deputed here would ensure timely disposal of all the complaints made by the people and political parties. She said the control centre will keep a close vigil to ensure free and fair elections.

Sawhney directed the officials to ensure strict enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct and asked them to discharge their duties with utmost dedication.