Braille system for impaired electorates

Chennai, Apr 30 (UNI) The election authorities has proposed to introduce Braille system in all the booths of R K Nagar and Park town assembly constituencies in the city for the May eight elections.

Tamil Nadu Chief electoral officer Naresh Gupta told newsmen here yesterday that as per the directions of the Election Commission, the authorities have selected these constituencies in the city.

He said all booths in these constituencies would be provided with dummy Braille ballot sheets in English and Tamil giving serial number and names of the contesting candidates and names of the parties (or independents, as the case may be).

The ballot unit would have numerical stickers printed in Braille in Arabic form, he added.

He said after going through the dummy sheets, given by the Presiding officer, the voters could proceed to the voting area, read the stickers on the ballot unit and cast their votes.

He said the Braille ballot paper would be collected by the officer and submitted to the returning officer along with non-statutory forms. Details of voters who used the system would be furnished to the Election Commission after the declaration of results.

''The visually impaired will continue to get the facility of having an attendant'', Mr Gupta said and added that the system was being introduced on an experimental basis and would be gradually extended.

To a question, Mr Gupta said the construction of ramps at all polling stations were going on in full swing and it would be completed by May three.

The CEO said he had referred the case relating to the murder of Tamil Nadu Jananayaga Congress candidate for the Krishnarayapuram (Reserve) constituency in Karur District and M G C Leelavathi's complaint that she was prevented from filing nomination from Andipatti assembly constituency, to the Director-General of Police.

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