The Hindu : A polling station just a boat ride away

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 28, 2004

National

National - Elections 2004

A polling station just a boat ride away

Luv Puri

JAMMU

The five thousand-odd voters of 22 polling stations in the Hazratbal Assembly segment of the Srinagar-Badgam parliamentary constituency will have to take a boat to cast their votes in the second phase of polling in the general elections, 2004, at polling stations located on the world famous Dal Lake.

Speaking to reporters here on the poll arrangements made by the Election Commission in the State, the State's Chief Electoral officer, B.L. Namesh said, "Keeping in mind that some of the voters live on islands in the Dal Lake, we have decided to set up polling stations on the lake so that the voters can cast their votes. The voters can come by boat to participate in the election process." Mr. Namesh said that the EC would not be making arrangements to transport the voters; they would have to come on their own just like in the other parts of the country.

Officials also disclosed that Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters would be pressed into action to reach the 14 polling stations in the remote Zanskar Assembly segment of the Ladakh region, and polling parties as well as other material would be airlifted two to three days in advance keeping in view the weather conditions.

Polling arrangements would also be made at Pastan polling station, situated at an altitude of 17,000 feet above sea level. Similarly in some of the polling stations like Udgagar and Bhandar in Kathua district, polling parties have to travel on foot about 25 km; in the case of the Hankar polling station in the Ladakh parliamentary constituency the polling parties will have to travel 30 km by foot to reach their assigned stations.

Mr. Namesh was confident that the polls would be free and fair in the State, where a total of 63.76 lakh voters would exercise their franchise in four phases. A total of 7218 polling stations would be set up, several of which come under the category of `hyper sensitive' in areas where terrorists operate; they would be provided full security. Mr. Namesh said that a request for 58 companies of paramilitary forces, including 40 Border Security Force (BSF) companies and 18 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) companies had been made to the Union Home Ministry. More than 500 companies from the various paramilitary forces, already deployed in the State on security duties, would also be mobilised in the coming elections.

In a departure from the last Assembly elections when the polling staff came from outside the State, this time 36,000 State Government employees would be called up to serve as presiding and polling officers. The ceasefire prevailing along the Line of Control in the state since November 2003 would help the electoral process, according to the Chief Electoral Officer.

The Election Commission is doing everything it can to help people vote; for instance, the Tarkundi area in Poonch district near the Line of Control has only three voters but a polling station would be set up for them. Arrangements have also been made for the Kashmiri Pandit migrants to vote by postal ballot as well as electronic voting machines as before. Mr. Namesh said that the EC had received several complaints of violation of the model code of conduct and they were being looked into.

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