The Election Commission’s initiative to set up temporary crèche facilities at polling booths seems to have been poorly implemented. While in several booths in the western suburbs, the facility was set up in a makeshift fashion, at some places, parents were not aware of the facility at all. Mumbai suburban collector Milind Borikar, however, said that in most places, the initiative was a success.
At Saraswati High School in Damu Nagar, there was only a makeshift cradle in the middle of the polling centre, compelling most parents to leave their children outside or take them into the booth. “We had a few children whose parents left them with us in the morning, but not many have turned up,” said the deputed female attendant at the crèche.
In some centres where booths were set up in open pandals, there was a small structure created for the crèche, which most parents were not aware of. In several schools, there were no boards about the existence of the crèche facility at the entrance. However, Borikar said,“We have got an overall good feedback. Space crunch might have led to a few facilities not getting attention.”