PUNE: The district administration is trying to make polling centres more accessible by reducing the number of polling booths on the first and second floors as the State assembly polls schedule has been announced. The voting will take place on October 21.
“During the Lok Sabha elections, 1,011 booths were set up at the voting centres on the first and second floors. But this time, we want to make polling booths more accessible. Therefore, we are reducing the number of booths on the first floor,” said District Collector Naval Kishore Ram as he addressed the media in the city.
He said till now, around 443 booths have been shifted from upper storeys to the ground floor with the help of creating booths in temporary sheds. The sheds will have all facilities and will follow every rule of the Election Commission. He said still 150 booths would remain on upper storeys.
However, the total number of polling booths in Pune district is 7,923.
He mentioned that around 59,000 new voters have been added in the past three months and said, “In the Lok Sabha elections, the number of first time voters was 54,113. In just three months, it has increased to 1,13,606.” There is an addition of around 59,000 first-time voters.” He said a total of 76,86,636 voters have been registered in Pune district, including 40,19,664 men, 36,66,784 women and 228 transgenders.
Ram said, “There are 98 polling stations in Pune district, where the turnout was less than 30 per cent. The administration is working to increase awareness in these areas. There are 89 polling stations in urban areas while nine of them are in rural areas.”
There are 186 critical polling booths while four of them are vulnerable, where webcasting will be done. Ram said at present, Pune district has a total of 13,775 ballot units (BU), 10,279 control units (CU) and 11,109 VVPAT machines.
Pune Rural Police Superintendent Sandip Patil, who was also present at the conference, said preventive action is planned against 3,500 individuals in rural parts of the district ahead of the assembly polls. He said of the 3,825 licensed weapons in Pune Rural area, 3,640 will be seized temporarily during election period.
Highlights
Candidates with criminal antecedents are required to publish information in this regard in newspapers and through television channels on three occasions during the campaign period.
To maintain the secrecy of vote at the time of poll, the height of the voting compartment has increased to 30 inches.
All reserve EVMs and VVPATs will be fitted with a GPS tracking system for careful monitoring
The photos of candidates will be printed on the ballot paper on the EVM and postal ballot papers to prevent confusion
Booth level officer will hand over the voter slip to the concerned elector only and will also take the signature/thumb impression of person whom the slip is delivered
Voter assistance booth will be set up for every polling station to facilitate the voters to locate his polling booth and serial number.
