Differently-abled may face difficulty at 11 poll booths

New Delhi: An RTI activist has submitted a list of polling booths in Delhi to the Election Commission which could be inconvenient for differently- abled voters.  The list intends to improve the facilities in these polling booths.

To ensure a hassle free polling for differently-abled voters, deputy chief electoral officer A.K. Srivastava had called a meeting on January 27 with all the stakeholders involved.

Satendra Singh, RTI activist and professor of physiology at the University College of Medical Sciences, was also present at the meeting. He submitted a list of 11 polling booths where such voters have faced difficulties in the past.

Usually, commission makes special arrangement for better convenience of the differently-abled voters at the polling stations. In previous elections, the EC had also decided to hold officials, in-charge of setting up polling stations, responsible for any inconvenience faced by such voters, and to facilitate such voters, they had for the first time deputed wheelchairs along with volunteers at each polling station.

These  polling booths have been identified as Block 26 Community Centre at West Patel Nagar, Booth numbers 11, 12, 13, 14 in Rajokri, booths at SC/ST training centre, Dilshad Garden, Haveli Azam Khan, Chandni Chowk, Booth No. 56 at JNU, Mahroli Assembly, Booth number A-28 in Subhash Nagar.

“I have given a list of troubled polling booths which include 11 names from different parts of the capital so that steps can be taken to make them assessable for such voters who often prefer not to step out if such problems persist,” Singh said.

Singh said he asked the government agencies such as ministry of social justice and empowerment, Delhi Development Authority and Institute of Physically Handicapped and Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi to provide wheelchairs at the polling booths.