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Jaisalmer: Presiding officers to assist disabled voters in panchayat polls
Jaisalmer: Presiding officers to assist disabled voters in panchayat polls
The Story in Brief
Jaisalmer district has intensified preparations for the Panchayati Raj elections, with voting scheduled on 14 and 16 November. In a change from previous polls, visually impaired and disabled voters will not be allowed to bring a companion to help them mark their ballot papers. Instead, the presiding officer at each polling station will provide assistance, as per Rule 41-K (Appendix 4).
District Election Officer and Collector Anupama Jorwal has declared a public holiday on 14 and 16 November in all constituencies where elections for Zila Parishad, Panchayat Samiti, Sarpanch and Panch members are being held. This applies to government and semi-government offices to enable voters to cast their ballots. Educational institutions being used as polling centres will have a local holiday for students from 13 to 17 November.
Counting of votes for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti members will take place on 20 November at SBK Government College, Jaisalmer, which will also have a local holiday that day. All district and block-level officers have been barred from taking leave or leaving headquarters without prior permission until the election process is completed.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The change in voting procedure under Rule 41-K places the presiding officer as the sole assistant for disabled voters, removing the earlier provision for a companion. This applies only to Panchayati Raj elections, not to Assembly, Lok Sabha or urban body polls. The district administration has not stated what training or safeguards will be provided to presiding officers handling this responsibility. Public holidays and restrictions on officers' leave are standard procedural measures, but they signal the administration's priority on voter turnout and smooth conduct. The key date to watch is 20 November, when counting will determine the results across the district.
Source: bhaskar.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
