×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Covid-19 positive people to be allowed to cast ballot during Goa ZP elections: Official

The ZP polls in Goa were earlier scheduled to be held on March 22 but had to be postponed
Last Updated 05 December 2020, 14:49 IST

Eligible voters who are Covid-19 positive will be allowed to vote for the forthcoming Goa Zilla panchayat elections during the last hour of polling day (December 12), State Election Commissioner Chokha Ram Garg said on Saturday.

Announcing the polling schedule for the ZP polls, Garg also said that the SOPs formulated by the Election Commission of India for recently conducted Bihar state assembly elections would be adopted to conduct the December 12 polls.

"The state has around 1,300 Covid-19 positive persons and we have around 1200 polling stations. So it boils down to one (Covid-109 positive) person per polling station. It will not be a problem taking care of one person or two persons who have Covid-19 at each polling station," Garg told a press conference in Panaji.

"Approximately 7.91 voters are eligible to cast ballot to the 48 Zilla panchayat constituencies. Voting will be conducted via ballot paper and not electronic voting machines," the top official said.

"We will follow all SOPs laid down by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Election Commission of India has already conducted elections in Bihar. We will follow those instructions," the State Election Commissioner also said.

"All SOPs issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will be adopted. Voters will have to wear masks in the polling station and maintain a distance of six feet. Sanitisers and handwashing facilities would be made available at every polling booth," Garg also said.

The ZP polls in Goa were earlier scheduled to be held on March 22 but had to be postponed after the National Democratic Alliance government announced a pan-India lockdown amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Garg also said that candidates appearing for the ZP polls will not be allowed to conduct any public campaigning, because the campaigning process was completed in March itself before the polls were postponed.

"Public campaigning will not be allowed from today till polling day. The Model Code of Conduct is already in force," Garg said.

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 05 December 2020, 14:49 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT