Pink booths in Gurugram to get women out to vote
Sumedha Sharma
Gurugram, March 27
In yet another initiative to boost polling percentage in Gurugram district, the local administration will set up all-women ‘pink’ polling booths in the Lok Sabha elections. This will be in addition to special booths for specially-abled voters and senior citizens who are being given the home facility to vote.
District Electoral officer and DC Nishant Yadav said the fact that women voting percentage was conventionally low in the district as compared to men, special booths were being set up for them so that they felt comfortable. Only women employees and women security personnel would be deployed at these booths to make the women feel at home. The administration was currently in process of identifying the key spots for the booths, especially in the segments with high women voters.
Will resolve issues step by step
We aim to bring Gurugram district amongst those with highest voting percentage. We are studying logistics and other reasons that stop people from stepping out and voting. We are resolving the issues step by step. Special booths and facilities will encourage people to participate in the democratic process. — Nishant Yadav, Deputy commissioner
Similarly, for the convenience of senior citizens aged 85 years and above and disabled persons, voting will be done through the ballot paper. Those elderly and disabled voters, who do not want to go to the booth and cast their vote, will be given Form 12D at their doorstep after the election notification is issued. This notification will be released on April 29 and the nomination process for the Lok Sabha elections will start from this day.
There are 21, 728 voters above 85 years in the city. Among these, there are 4,583 voters in the Pataudi Assembly constituency, 6,927 in Badshahpur, 6,194 in Gurugram and 4,024 in the Sohna constituency.
In Form 12D, the voter will write whether he would like to vote at the booth or through the ballot paper. The nomination process will be completed on May 6 and after that these forms will be collected from the homes of the elderly and disabled voters. Those voters who wish to vote from home will be distributed the ballot papers and the election staff will mark and seal their ballot papers on the same day. The voter’s right to privacy will be maintained in this process.
The administration is also setting up special booths for the socially and economically weaker sections. These booths will be built according to the population of the scheduled category. Here, only SC category employees and officers will be appointed as the polling party. He said to encourage voting, a completely safe environment will be provided to all sections of society.
Elderly to fill form 12D
Those elderly and disabled voters who do not want to go to the booth and cast their vote will be given Form 12D after the election notification is issued.
