TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: South Goa Lok Sabha constituency is gearing up for the April 12 election, with the election authorities putting in place an elaborate exercise for free and fair poling, including a provision for blind voters to cast their votes by using Braille paper.
Returning Officer Mihir Vardhan told the media in the presence of Additional Collector Venancio Furtado and DySP Mohan Naik that all arrangements are put in place by the authorities for the April 12 election. He said the BLOs have started the exercise of distributing voter slips, adding that if any voter is left out, they can either contact the BLO or the AERO or can obtain the slip from the Facilitation Centre set up at every polling station on the day of polling.
He said the election authorities will maintain a close watch on ASD voters, absentees, shifted and dead voters this time around to prevent impersonation. “This category of voters will have to compulsorily carry EPIC cards or some other identification document with them on the day of polling”, he added.
Vardhan said the election authorities have identified around 150 blind voters in South Goa constituency. “We are holding special training sessions for these voters so that they can cast their ballot using Braille paper. The training session will be imparted for two days on April 8-9 by experts with help from the National Association for the Blind”, he said, adding that the authorities have also identified 25 locations wherein provision for wheel chairs will be made for the physically challenged voters.
He said that all the 797 polling stations will have provision for ramps, drinking water facility, besides
medical kits.
