E-Paper
Remote Goa poll constituency foremost in electoral innovation
A remote poll constituency in Goa has become a testing ground for one of the most sophisticated and pioneering electioneering processes in the country.
A remote poll constituency in Goa has become a testing ground for one of the most sophisticated and pioneering electioneering processes in the country.
Valpoi, a legislative assembly constituency, hemmed in thick forests of the Western Ghats, will witness its 17,000-odd voters being photographed at spot and fingerprints being recorded at the time of voting, for the first time ever in India during the bypolls scheduled in Goa on October 18.
The district administration and state electoral office has conducted a massive and elaborate campaign involving more than 100 poll workers, who have been a part of this exercise.
"To enable this, the unique and remarkable software has been developed by Goa Electronics Limited (GEL). This will help us in identifying and zeroing down on the exact voter and will make the process transparent," District Collector Mihir Vardhan said.
The software and the entire process which was compiled by the state administration in record time has also received the approval of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and has been put into implementation mode, albeit with alterations.
"We received the green signal only two days back. The ECI has suggested a few changes in the system we have prepared. They had also asked us to take the permission of the two candidates who were contesting the elections and we have done so," Vardhan said.
The entire process will be offline and there will be no online relay of data, the official said.
Every voter including women wearing veils, who walk into the polling booth will be required to undergo the process.
