SEC issues notification for migrant voters, appoints 3 ROs

Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Oct 25: The State Election Commission (SEC) has issued notification for Kashmiri migrants desirous to cast their votes through Migrant Postal Ballot (MPB) in ensuing Panchayat elections in their respective Panchayat Halqas falling in 46 Assembly constituencies of the Valley.
As per the notification, the migrants will be referred as ‘Specified Voters’ for the purpose of the scheme. The SEC has also appointed three Assistant Returning Officers for the purpose for smooth conduct of election process.
They included Assistant Commissioner, Relief, Jammu, Deputy Director, Horticulture, Planning and Marketing, New Delhi and Collector Northern Railways, Udhampur.
While the AC Relief for Migrants of Jammu will be RO for migrants putting up at Jammu and transit campus of Valley, DD Horticulture, Planning and Marketing will be ARO for migrants putting up in Delhi and NCR and Collector Northern Railways will function as ARO for Kashmiri migrants putting up at Udhampur, the notification added.
These AROs will be responsible for receipt of application forms of specified voters (migrants) who wish to avail the facility of MPB and also certify their papers thereof. According to notification, the AROs will also furnish information for preparation of marked copies of electoral rolls and setting up of facilitation centers for signing of declarations etc.
It further stated that a specified voter who wishes to vote through MPB should give his or her preference by filling up Form MPB-1. The copies of MPB -1 will be available at ARO migrants , Jammu, Delhi and Udhampur, besides at migrant camps of Muthi, Purkhoo, Jagti, Nagrota, Bari Brahmana, (located at Gangyal), Zonal Office, JK BOSE, Rehari, Office of DC Relief, Indira Nagar, Srinagar, Transit Camps Sheikhpora, Budgam, Natnusa, Kupwara, Veerwan, Baramulla, Vessu, Kulgam and Mattan, Anantnag.
The copies of MPB-1 will also be available from the website of CEO J&K(ceojk.nic.in).
As per notification the duly filled Form MPB- 1 should be deposited in the office of ARO Migrants or the designated officers to be appointed by Relief Commissioner, J&K, by the last date of nominations for the concerned Panchayat Halqas/ Panch constituencies.
The forms can be signed by an officer incharge migrant camp, an officer incharge of the office where from the specified voter draws his salary as migrant employee, an officer incharge of treasury / bank where from the specified voter draws his pension or any gazetted officer.
All the forms received on due date by all the AROs and designated officers should be forwarded to ARO (Migrants ) Jammu by due date. The DPEO (Deputy Commissioner) , of respective districts on receipt of the list of specified voters who have opted for postal ballot will forward the same to the concerned Returning Officers who will issue the MPB and prepare the marked copies of electoral rolls. These marked copes of electoral rolls will be used at the respective polling stations, the notification said.
The ballot paper for specified voters will be of two sets one for Sarpanch and another for the Panch. Every postal ballot paper will have a counterfoil attached thereto and the ballot paper as well as the counterfoil will be in Urdu and English languages. While the pink colour ballot paper will be for election to Sarpanch of the Panchayat Halqa of the specified voter, the while colour postal ballot will be for the election to Panch Constituency of the specified voter.
Based on the list of specified voters for the MPB scheme, ROs within 48 hours of the last date of withdrawal, will enclose a set of two Migrant Postal Ballots, with seal and signatures of the RO concerned on the backside of each ballot with a declaration in Form MPB-2, a cover in Form MPB 3, a large cover addressed to the RO concerned in Form MPB-4 and instructions of the guidance of the specified voter in Form MPB 5.
The Returning Officer at the same time will record on the counterfoil of the each ballot paper the electoral roll number of the Specified Voter as entered in the marked copy of electoral roll and ensure that the Specified Voter is not allowed to vote at the polling Station.
Moreover, every officer through whom postal ballot papers are sent will ensure the delivery to the addressee without delay. After postal ballot papers have been issued to all the specified voters the RO will complete all formalities including recording the date of sealing.
After this process is complete, the Specified Voter who has received the set of postal ballot papers should record his vote one each of the ballot papers in accordance with the directions contained in Part 1of Form MPB-5. After recording his votes, he should enclose both the postal ballots in the cover A (Form MPB-3) and seal the envelope.
The Specified Voter should sign the declaration Form MPB-2 in the presence of, and have signature attested by, a First Class Magistrate or a gazetted officer. The sealed large Cover-B Form MPB-4, containing the set of postal ballots in Form MPB-3 and declaration in Form MPB-2 should be returned by the specified voter to the RO concerned by post so as to reach him three days before the date of polling.

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