Malda to have 60 all-woman polling stations

Malda: The Malda district with two Parliamentary seats is going to have 60 all-women managed polling stations in different parts of the district. From presiding officers to the 3rd polling officers, it will be females in these booths.

Even in the case of deployment of Central paramilitary forces, female personnel will be deployed in these booths.

The district administration has already imparted training to the women polling personnel. Mainly ICDS workers, supervisors, primary and high school female teachers and other government department employees have been chosen by the district election cell to perform poll duties.

North and South Malda, the two Lok Sabha constituencies, have remote polling stations, including one on islands on River Ganges. However, female polling personnel will not be deputed in far flung polling stations. Security arrangements for night stay of the female polling personnel will also be made. Female security personnel will be entrusted with this task.

For a total of 60 women-run booths initially, 240 women poll workers will be needed, including one presiding and three polling officers in each. About 25 per cent of this number or 60 women personnel will also be kept in reserve in case of an absence of any person.

These polling stations will have a decorated gate to inspire the voters in the area. In the North Malda Parliamentary segment, Habibpur will have 4, Gazole 7, Chanchal 4, Harishchandrapur 4, Malatipur 2, Ratua 4, Manikchak 2 and Maldaha will have 8 female managed polling stations.

In the South Malda seat, English Bazar will have 12, Mothabari 8, Sujapur 2 and Baishnabnagar will have 3

such booths.

Nitin Singhania, District Magistrate Malda, said: “All necessary measures have been taken to ensure smooth polling in the two Lok Sabha constituencies of Malda.”