Model polling stations fail to live upto billing
8 Feb 2015 12:10 AM GMT
Such people were seen hanging on to their relatives near polling booths in most of the polling booths to exercise their franchise. Nand Kishore, 64, whose leg was paralyzed, was seen with his stick and he was one of them who did not care of wheelchairs and cast his vote.
“I am a 64-year-old frail man and it was very difficult for me to follow the queue,” said Kishore.
When Millennium Post sought an explanation from AK Sharma, an Election Commission official he admitted that “there is huge shortage of wheelchairs and we do not have enough wheelchairs to assist physically challenged people but we have made sure that physically challenged and senior citizen people do not have to follow the queue.”
A polling booth in West Jyoti Nagar in Babarpur constituency was set up as a model polling station but the situation at this booth was no different from others.
“Only one outdated wheelchair has been deployed here. Many voters did not feel comfortable while using it. There is nobody who can assist the voters or make them aware of services like first-aid but no sign board was there,” says a senior Delhi police officer on the condition of anonymity.
At Jagatpur village polling station, which comes under Burari Assembly, there was no wheelchair available for physically challenged people though there was a signage showing separate entry gate and slope for wheelchairs.
Rajeev Kumar, Assistant Returning Officer, told Millennium Post that “Only six wheelchairs were handed over to me for 39 locations. I had deployed them in selected locations which were expected to see a higher voter turnout”.
“I am a 64-year-old frail man and it was very difficult for me to follow the queue,” said Kishore.
When Millennium Post sought an explanation from AK Sharma, an Election Commission official he admitted that “there is huge shortage of wheelchairs and we do not have enough wheelchairs to assist physically challenged people but we have made sure that physically challenged and senior citizen people do not have to follow the queue.”
A polling booth in West Jyoti Nagar in Babarpur constituency was set up as a model polling station but the situation at this booth was no different from others.
“Only one outdated wheelchair has been deployed here. Many voters did not feel comfortable while using it. There is nobody who can assist the voters or make them aware of services like first-aid but no sign board was there,” says a senior Delhi police officer on the condition of anonymity.
At Jagatpur village polling station, which comes under Burari Assembly, there was no wheelchair available for physically challenged people though there was a signage showing separate entry gate and slope for wheelchairs.
Rajeev Kumar, Assistant Returning Officer, told Millennium Post that “Only six wheelchairs were handed over to me for 39 locations. I had deployed them in selected locations which were expected to see a higher voter turnout”.
Next Story
