Correspondent
GOALPARA, March 6: A new initiative has been taken by the Election Commission of India in order to ensure wider participation in the electoral process of all absentee voters of essential services on duty on the day of poll during the current general election to the Assam Legislative Assembly scheduled to be held in three phases.
This class of voters who will not be able to be present in their respective polling stations have been urged to cast their votes vide postal ballot in the said general election as per the provisions of Part-III A of the Conduct of Election Rules 1961, as amended vide Union Ministry of Law and Justice notification SO No. 3786 (E) of October 2019.
Persons employed in the following essential services like Electricity department, BSNL, Railways, Health workers, Aviation, officials under long-distance services of Assam State Transport Corporation, Fire Service, Traffic Police, Ambulance Service under Health Department of Assam, mediapersons authorised by the ECI on poll day and shipping have been identified as class of voters who have been asked to utilise the services of postal ballot, informed DIPRO sources.
In the meantime, a Postal Ballot Paper Cell has been opened in the office of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Goalpara for issuing Form 12 D to the desirous employees, the sources further added.
It may be mentioned that senior citizens of more than 80 years of age and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) voters have been facilitated in every way for their wider participation in the ensuing election by encouraging them to utilise the services of postal ballot effectively.
