Each And Every Voter Matters: EC To Provide Pick-Up, Drop Facility For Divyangs During Lok Sabha Polls

The Election Commission of India (ECI) would provide pick-up and drop facilities to voters with disability in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, an official was quoted as saying in a Business Standard report.

“Generally, such voters are carried to the polling booths by political parties. The ECI wants to avoid instances of conflicts between the supporters of contesting candidates,” an ECI from Maharashtra said.

According to the report, the election commission has developed a mobile application named as PwD using which the voters who have enrolled themselves as persons with disabilities (PwD) can notify the ECI in availing the pick-up and drop service. The app will soon be available on the Android Play store.

“It is for the first time, and the election commission would pick up the voters from their home and drop them again after they cast their vote,” Additional Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra, Dilip Shinde, was quoted saying by BS.

“The ECI would bear the entire cost of pick-up and drop. ECI has already roped in several NGOs working for the physically-challenged persons as well as several auto and taxi service providers for the service,” he added.

He reportedly said that the ECI would get to know the number of PwDs through the voters list and the polling centres.

“Based on the data, the arrangement for vehicles, as well as helpers, will be made on each polling centre,” Shinde said.

Special camps were held, specifically for the visually challenged voters. The Government officers were also reportedly given directions about how to behave with the PwDs, said another official from the ECI.

Maharashtra has total of 8,73,30,484 voters, of whom 4,57,02,579 are males, while 4,16,25,819 are females.