Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): State Election Commissioner Basant Pratap Singh has asked the collectors to make at least five polling stations in the district as model voting booths.
“Set up a polling station on the ground floor. Decorate entrance with archway, rangoli, balloons and flowers. Set up waiting rooms, arrange for chairs to sit, clean carpet for voters. Make arrangements for drinking water, toilets and convenient access roads,” he told collectors.
He said apart from making separate queues for men and women, senior citizens, elderly, sick and Divyang voters should be given priority in voting.
“Make separate entrance and exit gates. Arrange for ramps and wheelchairs and first aid boxes. Establish a facilitation centre near the polling station and distribute 100 per cent voter slips to voters at model polling stations,” he added.
Special camps to explain voting process at crowded places
Bhopal collector and returning officer (DRO) for local body elections Avinash Lavania has asked Bhopal municipal commissioner and Berasia chief municipal officer to publicise the process of voting through EVMs. For this, special camps will be held at markets, fairs, malls and crowded places to explain the process of voting, according to information received on Wednesday.
He has asked officials to focus on polling booths where there was poor turnout of voters in last elections. They have also been asked to motivate voters to cast votes through public awareness campaign.
He also said voters should be made aware of voting process by displaying EVMs in major markets and crowded places in the city and provide complete information to voters about mock polls and actual voting process.
Lavania has constituted district level media certification and monitoring committee on the directions of State Election Commission.
The committee will be headed by collector or additional collector nominated by him. The member secretary will be the district public relations officer. District deputy returning officer, another officer nominated by collector and a journalist nominated by the collector have been included in the committee.
Political parties or candidates who wish to see advertisement in print or electronic media will have to apply in a prescribed format to the committee. The advertisement approved or as amended by the committee can be published and broadcast.
As a model code of conduct is in force in the district, Lavania has directed all the sub division magistrates (SDMs) to ensure its effective implementation.
The district election office has also banned carrying, demonstration and keeping weapons in public places which includes swords, sticks and other weapons within the district.
