CUDDALORE:
The differently abled persons and visually impaired voters will get assistance from the staff of the District Rehabilitation Department for casting their votes in the election in Cuddalore district, according to P.Seetharaman, Collector and District Election Officer (DEO).
Addressing poll officials at St.Joseph's school auditorium here on Sunday, the Collector said that the Election Commission had instructed the DEO to set up ramps or wooden planks at the polling stations. While the physically challenged could go in their tri-wheelers to the polling enclosure to exercise their franchise, the visually impaired would be given a Braille list of candidates and guided by accompanying associates.
However, to ensure fairness and to ward off mischievous elements (who might pretend to assist but might force people to vote for the candidate of their choice) personnel of the District Rehabilitation Department would be deputed to render assistance to such voters. There would be separate queues for women, men, and, old and infirm voters at the polling stations. Shade sheds would be provided to all the polling stations and oral re-hydration powder would be kept ready to be given to the voters who might develop health complications.
In case of those voters who exercise the 49(O) option (option to not vote), they could do so by signing or fixing thumb impression in Form 17-A. As far as Cuddalore district was concerned, cent per cent voters had been given the EPICs, the Collector said. The Collector further said that with the permission of the Election Commission, 50 new polling stations had been set up in the district to keep the voters' strength in each of the polling station below 1,000.
The new stations were carved out of rural booths having more than 1,400 voters and urban booths having more than 1,200 voters. Earlier, there were 1,945 polling stations and now the number had gone up to 1,995, Mr. Seetharaman added.
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