Lucknow: Chief Electoral Officer of the state, Navdeep Rinwa said that strict compliance of the instructions given by the Election Commission of India regarding providing minimum facilities at polling places and providing arrangements for protection from extreme heat and heat wave is being ensured.
Based on the experience of the polling days of the two phases of Lok Sabha general elections in the state, he has given instructions to the district election officers of the remaining five phase voting districts to ensure basic facilities at the polling places.
He said that basic facilities like adequate shade, drinking water, fans and chairs for the elderly, women and disabled people standing in the queue, school benches etc. should be ensured at every polling place.
Adequate ORS and medical kits along with paramedics and ASHA workers should be made available at every polling station and polling booth. To ensure its availability, a paramedic personnel should also be made available with the sector team so that it can be used as and when required.
The Chief Electoral Officer said that the sector officers should carefully review the infrastructure provisions related to protection from extreme heat during the voting process. In the month of May, comprehensive preparations should be ensured to protect against extreme heat and heat wave. Emergency ambulance services available under NHM or other schemes should be kept at different suitable places in the districts, so that if needed, they can be easily sent to polling centers and polling booths.
The Chief Electoral Officer said that the sector officers should carefully review the infrastructure provisions related to protection from extreme heat during the voting process. Written report should be obtained from the Sector Officers in this regard by the District Election Officer. Sector officers should be made adequately sensitized in these tasks. Apart from this, Sector Officers, while assessing the polling places with slow voting progress, should ensure to speed up the voting process by deputing additional personnel from the reserve personnel, if necessary.
