To provide better facilities to Divyang at polling booths, chief electoral officer (CEO) Radha Raturi convened a meeting with the officials and NGOs on Friday. During the meeting, those from the NGOs said that they have been preparing a detailed list of the Divyaang people, keeping in view every polling booth. They have been told to complete the compilation of information about Divyaang and submit it to the election commission by January 1, 2017. Besides, Raturi stressed that the names of the Divyaang having become eligible to vote on completing 18 years must be included in the electoral rolls. She asked them to visitNVSP.IN through online to ensure that all the eligible Divyaang are included in the roll. She further said that not a single name should be left out in the process.
She said that the Divyaang people would be facilitated by all means if they come to the polling booths to cast votes. To ensure this, she discussed means as to how to bring them in maximum number to the polling booths and how to drop them to their homes with the help of volunteers, NSS or NCC after they cast votes. It was also discussed in course of the meeting as to how to bring those who cannot walk to the polling booths in wheel chairs.
NGOs appealed to the CEO to sensitize the polling officials and security officials so as to make them facilitate the specially- abled to come to the polling booths and cast votes. They stressed on arranging ramps to bring them to the polling booths. They also said that the administration should highlight the special arrangements being made for them to inspire them to come to the polling booths in large numbers.
National Association for the Blind Uttarakhand and Greater Haldwani and Rafel Rider Cheshaire International Home Dehradun have appealed to the election commission to ensure appropriate arrangements to help the Divyaang people turn up at the polling booths, while fully catering to their convenience.
Several representatives for the institutions engaged in caring for the specially- abled community attended the meeting and highlighted the measures to be taken to bring such voters to the polling booths. During meeting Sharp Memorial School for blind’s PM Samuel, Suman Samuel, Nob’s Shyam Dhanak, Indira Rashtriyal Chetna Samajothan’s VS Choudhary, Raphael Rider Chesshair International Home’s Manindra Kaur, Ganga Singh Chesshaire Home’s Mamta Gupta, Anjali, latika Roy Foundation’s Sandeep Kumar, Rizwan Ali; Gokul Society for Handicraft’s Bhagwati Raturi, Madhu Maikhuri, Jyotish Ghildiyal, Bajaja Institute of learning Anjali Agrawal, Mani Yugandhar, Jyoti Viklang School’s Kamlesh Bhatia, KS Bisht and Dr Deepesh Chandra Prasad; Harbertpur Christian Hospital’s Robert Kumar and Arpoth Martin; Nanhi Duniya Dumb & Deaf school’s vedprakash Uniyal and Jagmohan Sink Kafola.
Besides, several officers representing the state government were present.