Two cells will be set up in polling booths for panchayat elections. Ballot boxes will be kept in one cell and EVMs in the second. Election of panchs will be held through ballot papers and Sarpanchs and members of Janpad and district Panchayats through EVMs. Candidates during ensuing Panchayat general elections will also be asked to submit affidavit along with nomination papers.
These issues were discussed during a meeting of State Election Commission officers with representatives of non-political social organisations over Systematic Education, Nurturing and Sensitisation of Electorates (SENSE) here on Thursday.
Commission’s Deputy Secretary Buddhesh Vaidya informed about Panchayat electoral process and programme through a Power Point presentation. He said that NGOs should help prepare error-free electoral rolls. Counting will be held at development block, tehsil and district levels. Earlier, counting was held at the polling booth itself. Under Secretary Sheela Dahima informed that CEOs of district Panchayats have been made nodal officers for voter awareness campaign in concerning districts. Demonstrations of EVM operations are being made in general body meetings of Gram Sabhas with a view to apprising Panchayat office-bearers about EVM functioning and operations. They are being informed about NOTA, voter slips, voter registration and counting.
Vaidya informed that photo electoral rolls for ensuing Panchayat general elections will be available on commission’s website in which voters can check their names. Voter slips will also be distributed to voters. Vaidya also satiated queries of NGO representatives. Master trainer Vinod Pathak made a demonstration of EVM.
Office-bearers of civil society organisation ‘PACS’ and ‘The Hunger Project’ informed that action plan has been chalked out for participation in awareness campaign. They said that their effort would be to ensure that no candidate’s nomination is rejected in Panchayat elections and polling is maximum. They also put forth important suggestions pertaining to awareness campaign.