Badnawar: By-elections are being conducted amid pandemic, and it is crucial to do all that is required to prevent the spread of infection. Election Commission is conducting the by-elections according to the advisory released by the health department.
But it is surprising that enough stock of sanitisers, gloves, PPE kits, face shields, thermal guns etc. has still not been received. Whatever has been received is inadequate and is being used in the election meetings that are being held now and then, according to a source.
There are more than 2 lakhs voters and elections will be conducted in 295 polling stations, including 37 auxiliary polling stations. Around 1300 staff members will conduct the election. There will be 6 voting staff at one polling station.
It has been directed to arrange for PPE body suits, sanitisers, hand gloves, N-95 masks, face-shield for them and to make sanitisers, soaps and water available at the entry and exit points of the polling booths. Masks will be provided to voters too without masks and hand gloves will be provided for voting. Thermal screening will be done too.
But despite these directions, inadequate material has been supplied in the assembly region. For postal ballots too, this material is being used. Assistant Nodal Officer Covid Security and BMO Dr. Sandeep Shrivastava said that at present 2 thousand bottles of 500 ml sanitiser have arrived in addition to 300 masks, 140 face shields, 200 gloves and 40 PPE Kits. Pulse oximeter and thermal guns have been made available from health workers of Badnawar and Tisgaon. The material received is like a drop in the ocean, a source said.
