Pick-up & drop facility; 700 CAPF companies on guard: Election Commission
Chandigarh, February 19
Pick-up and drop facility will be provided to senior citizens and persons with disabilities to and from polling booths, Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju said on Saturday, a day ahead of the elections to Punjab Assembly.
Raju said the state machinery was working round the clock to ensure peaceful, free and fair elections. Polling would be held from 8 am to 6 pm, said a functionary of the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).
Flowers for first-time voters
Battery-run vehicles, auto-rickshaws and minivans will be at the disposal of senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Young people casting vote for the first time will be given flowers.
Raju said arrangements for pick-up and drop facility had been made in each Assembly constituency. “There can be battery-run vehicles, auto-rickshaws and minivans,” Raju said, adding young people casting votes for the first time, would be given flowers.
He urged electors to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour at polling stations and added masks, gloves and sanitisers would be provided. Dustbins and coloured bags would be placed for disposal of Covid-waste material, the CEO said.
On whether a vaccination certificate was a must at polling stations, Raju said: “There should be no confusion. Voting does not have any connection with vaccination.” A person carrying his voter card has a right to cast his vote, he added.
To a question on deployment of security personnel for the polls, the CEO said 700 companies of central armed police forces had been deployed. Besides, the state police personnel would be on duty, he added.
Ever since the model code of conduct came into force, various enforcement teams had made seizures of liquor, unaccounted cash and psychotropic substances worth Rs 500.70 crore.
In view of the polls, a ban on sale of alcohol in Punjab started at 6 pm on February 18. It will end on February 20 after conclusion of polling. —
