Chief Electoral Officer, Jharkhand, K Ravi Kumar has asked the employers of all industrial and commercial establishments and all other institutions to give paid leave to all the employees working in their institutions to vote on the polling days of 13 and 20 November. Those employees also include daily wage labourers, who are registered voters of the state. He was holding a meeting with the officials of the Labour Department in the Election House on Monday.

Kumar has said that this should be widely publicized by the Labour Department. Along with this, they should also be made aware and motivated for voting. So that, such voters can be ensured to use their right to vote freely and impartially.

It is known that as per the provision of Section 135-B of the Representation of People Act 1951, there is a provision to provide paid leave for voting to every person employed in any business, profession, industrial undertaking or any other institution on the polling day during the election. Under this provision, daily wage workers will also be entitled to leave with wages on the polling day. There is also a provision for punishment against employers who violate this provision.

The CEO has requested the employers and managers to ensure proper compliance of this provision so that not even a single voter is deprived of his right to vote, with a view to providing facilities for voting to the workers employed in all businesses, professions, industrial undertakings or any other institution within the state.

On this occasion, Labour Commissioner Sanjeev Kumar Besra, Additional Chief Electoral Officer Dr. Neha Arora, Sandeep Singh, Joint Labour Commissioner Rajesh Prasad, Joint Chief Electoral Officer Subodh Kumar, Assistant Chief Electoral Officer Dev Das Dutta along with officials of the Chief Electoral Officer's Office and Labour Department were present.