Excelsior Correspondent
REASI, Apr 13: To make voting a pleasant experience 53 model polling stations have been established in Reasi district by Election Commission of India. The district having 301 Polling Stations with 1.94 lakh voters in district and 71 Polling Stations falling in Ramban and Udhampur districts with 44,000 voters as part of Reasi and Gool Arnas Assembly constituencies is going to polls on April 17.
In more than 6 month long plan for establishment of model polling stations 16 types of services and facilities have been made available at these polling stations. There will be no queues and instead token will be given to voters as per their serial number on arrival. A red carpet welcome, decorated tents, seating arrangements, new furniture, face lifted buildings, voter facilitation counters, signage, drinking water bottles, light refreshment, first aid centre, live entertainment, help desk, special facilities for differently abled and aged voters are few among these services. Each MPS has been given a flat screen television set with DTH dish connection for voters’ entertainment and more than 10 cultural troupes will be performing live for entertaining voters.
District Reasi having three Assembly constituencies of Gulabgarh, Gool-Arnas and Reasi, with 177 sensitive and 44 hypersensitive polling stations in 2014 elections recorded a dismal 43% turnout in 2009 Lok Sabha elections with a meagre 32% women turnout. In more than 30 polling stations the women turnout remained less than 10%. Awareness and enrolment drive started in September last has recorded an increase of 16% voters in the district with addition of 14000 women and 12000 men, at the same time deletion of 3200 duplicate voters.
Another significant measure is declaring all 301 polling stations as “No Women Queue” polling stations. The women voters will not have to stand in the queue and instead a team of three volunteers deputed at each polling stations will offer them seat and provide a token indicating their serial number and assist them on their turn to enter the voting compartment. This move is aimed at encouraging 94000 women voters of district.
District Election Officer Dr Shahid Iqbal informed that more than 100 odd activities of electoral awareness and facilitated participation are active in the district under 34 different campaigns targeting particular groups and hoped that turnout will see a rise.
More than 52 departments, 6 PSUs, boards, universities and other non-political institutions have extended assistance to district administration for establishment of model polling stations in the district as partner organisations.
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