EC publicity vans for voters in Haryana

Chandigarh, Sept 23: In a bid to encourage voters to exercise their franchise, Haryana Election Commission has launched publicity vans fitted with audio systems.

"In all the 21 districts, we have these vans fitted with audio systems and various banners are put up on the vehicles that carry different messages for the voters. The appeal is made to the voters to come out in large numbers and cast their vote without any fear," Haryana's Chief Electoral Officer Shirkant Walgad said.

He said that TV star Meghna Malik is the state icon and her recorded messages are played out to the voters. Walgad also hoped that more and more voters would come out to cast their vote this time. In 1967 Assembly polls, maximum polling of 72.65 per cent was registered while in 2009, total polling of 72.37 per cent took place. The State at present has over 1.62 crore voters including over 74 lakh women.

Meanwhile, Walgad said that physically challenged people need not wait in the queue for casting their vote. "Special arrangements will be made for the physically challenged persons at polling stations," he said.

He said the polling booth staff will assist the physically and visually impaired citizens to cast their vote and arrangements would be made for them to take wheelchairs inside the polling booths.

In those polling stations where permanent ramps have not been provided, temporary ramps would be set up.

A blind or visually impaired elector would be permitted to take an assistant to cast the vote, if he wishes. He said that electors with speech and hearing impairment will be given special care as in the case of other physically challenged persons.

The facility of Braille signage was being made available on the Electronic Voting Machines for visually impaired voters to feel the numbers before casting their vote.

PTI