Ensure delivery of voter slips to electors: J'khand CEO

Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer Vinay Kumar Choubey has asked all the district election officials to ensure delivery of photo voter slips to the electorate before the first phase of polls in the state on November 30.

He directed DEOs through a video conference on Monday to make sure that the booth-level officers give the slips at houses of voters and submit reports every day, an Election Commission release said.

On the basis of the reports, sector magistrates will make surprise inspections, the CEO said, adding these steps are being taken to increase the voting percentage. A help-line number-1950-has have been introduced so that voters can report to the commission if they do not get the slips, and the officials have also been asked to call electors to ascertain whether they receive the same or not, the CEO said. He also asked the district election officers to take speedy action against any complaint relating to the violation of the model code of conduct and ensure steps to seize illegal cash, illicit liquor, and other substances for impartial and transparent polling.

Choubey also directed officials to distribute braille-coded voter slips to visually impaired electors.

He also took stock of the security arrangements at sensitive polling stations.

Braille is a script with raised dots that can be read with the fingers by people who are blind or have low vision.

The five-phase assembly elections in the state are scheduled to end on December 20 and counting will take place on December 23.