New Delhi: The Election Commission of India held a review meeting on advance planning for forthcoming elections with the Chief Electoral Officers of the five states namely Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, at Nirvachan Sadan here today.
The preliminary meeting held was focussed on various thematic issues including COVID Mitigation plan. The Election Commission also discussed Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF) at the polling stations, ease of registration arrangements for voter facilitation, electoral roll, timely resolution of grievances, arrangements of EVMs/VVPATs, postal ballot facility for senior citizens (80+) and Persons with Disabilities, , training of polling staff and extensive voter outreach amongst others.
Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra in his address said that issues and challenges may be different in each state, but election planning needs to have a voter-centric approach and participative decision making involving all stakeholders. he stressed on the significance of the purity of the electoral roll and asked the CEOs for expeditious redressal of all pending applications with regard to voter registration. He also emphasized on the need for rationalization of polling stations keeping in view the COVID 19 pandemic and reiterated the need to have basic facilities& infrastructure in all polling stations. Adding further, he mentioned that all logistical challenges in implementation of postal ballot facility to senior citizens (80+) and persons with disabilities need to be identified and resolved for its smooth & transparent implementation during the elections.
– global bihari bureau
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