Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Nov 19: To make voting a pleasant experience 117 Model Polling Stations have been established in Kathua district by Election Commission of India. The district having 625 Polling Stations with 4.25 lakh voters in 5 Assembly Segments is going to polls on December 20 in 5th Phase of elections to Legislative Assembly.
In more than 3 month long plan for establishment of Model Polling Stations 16 types of services and facilities have been made available at these polling stations. There will be no queues and instead token will be given to voters as per their serial number on arrival. A red carpet welcome, decorated tents, seating arrangements, new furniture, face lifted buildings, voter facilitation counters, signage, drinking water bottles, light refreshment, first aid center, live entertainment, help desk, special facilities for differently abled and aged voters are few among these services. Each MPS has been given television set with DTH connection for voters’ entertainment and more than 11 cultural troupes will be performing live for entertaining voters.
District Kathua having 5 Assembly constituencies of Basohli, Bani, Billawar, Hiranagar and Kathua with 160 sensitive and 27 hypersensitive polling stations recorded 71 % turnout in 2014 Lok Sabha elections and administration has set target of 90% participation in Assembly Elections. More than 25000 voters were enrolled in recently concluded special summary revision and another 6000 during the ongoing continuous updation.
Another significant measure is declaring all 625 polling stations as “No Women Queue” polling stations. The women voters will not have to stand in the queue and instead a team of three volunteers deputed at each polling station will offer them seat and provide a token indicating their serial number and assist them on their turn to enter the voting compartment. This move is aimed at encouraging more than 2 lakh women voters of district.
District Election Officer Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary informed that more than 115 odd activities of electoral awareness and facilitated participation are active in the district under 39 different campaigns targeting particular groups and hoped that turnout will see a rise.
Establishment of MPS was reviewed in a meeting chaired by DEO and attended by Returning Officers, AROs, ExEns PWD, PHE, PDD, Mechanical,CPO, CMO, CEO, GM DIC, Nodal Officers SVEEP, Master Trainers and Polling Booth Area teams including 120 BLOs.
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