Election Commission directs for restoration of damaged schools

Jalpaiguri / Kolkata: The Election Commission (EC) has directed the district electoral officers (DEOs) of Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts to take up repair work on war footing of the schools which will be acting as polling venues. Polling in Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar and Alipurduar Parliamentary constituencies is scheduled to be held on April 19 during the first phase of polls. According to sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Bengal, 35 schools in Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts have suffered damages due to the effect of the devastating storm that had hit the two districts

on March 31. About 24 schools that include both primary and higher secondary have suffered damages in Jalpaiguri Sadar and Maynaguri block in the district. About 11 schools in Cooch Behar district have suffered damages.

The tin sheds of a number of schools have been blown away and the room where mid-day meals are cooked have been the worst affected.

The Jalpaiguri Zilla School has borne the brunt of the wrath of the storm with trees getting uprooted. The school building, the boundary wall and the water supply connection to the school has suffered because of the storm. Denguajhar New TG primary school’s tin shed has been blown away while the Jamadarpara Primary school suffered damage in its mid-day meal cooking room and tin shed getting blown away.

It is learnt that CEO, Bengal Aariz Aftab held a video conference with the DEOs of the three districts that go for polls in the very first phase on Monday and took stock of the situation. Based on the reports from the DEOs, he issued instructions for restoration of the polling venues.

The total number of voters for Darjeeling, Raiganj and Balurghat are 1763443, 1789107 and 1560769 respectively. The total number of polling stations, including the auxiliary ones, in the three districts are 1999, 1730 and 1569 respectively.