Disabled personnel to independently manage polling station in Panvel

Five PwDs to manage polling station in Panvel for Lok Sabha election, showcasing their abilities. Concerns raised about potential challenges.

Panvel: Five individuals will take charge of managing a polling station independently for the upcoming Maval Lok Sabha constituency election in Panvel to be held on May 13. While the initiative is to showcase that persons with disabilities (PwDs) are as able in their work, concerns were raised by local activists regarding potential challenges and appealed to the Election Commission (EC) to not exert too much pressure on them during election duty.

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The PWDs include teachers and gram panchayat workers working in Panvel taluka. The selected polling station, Number 416, room number 2, situated at Minority English Medium School near the Panvel Municipal Corporation office, will witness the efforts of these individuals.

“Several teachers have been deployed for election duty. However, the Election Commission guidelines have exempted divyang teachers from such duty. The EC wants to ensure that they, along with senior citizens, do not have to face any problems,” said Baburao Palkar of the Maharashtra Rajya Prathmik Shikshan Sangh. “Despite this, officials have ordered divyang teachers to undertake election duty at a polling station.” Palkar added that divyang teachers and others manage to work while facing physical strain and hassles while traveling from one place to another because they are accustomed to the routine and have the requisite facilities and support. “They will now have to go to the polling station in a new area for election duty. There is no guarantee they will get the right environment there to work. It will be physically demanding for them.”

Panvel tehsildar Vijay Patil said the five PwDs do not have major disabilities and can see well. “There were some objections from the association, but the Divyangs chosen are themselves very motivated and looking forward to the election duty. We did not force them to take up the duty by warning them of any action. They themselves want to send a strong message of what they are capable of. They may have physical deficiencies, but mentally they are very strong.”

Nitin Huddar, public relations officer (polling officer) who has held meetings with the chosen PwDs, said, “They basically have leg issues but not much of a mobility problem. They are perfectly fine with the job assigned to them and realise the good work they are getting to do, which they are pleased about.”