Jaipur: The State Election Commission (SEC) has started preparations for elections to Panchayati Raj institutions (Zila Parishad, Panchayat Samiti, Gram Panchayat). This time, instructions have been given to avoid deploying specially abled and women employees on polling party duty. Orders have also been issued not to assign polling party duty to employees working in central departments or institutions under the central govt and employees engaged in essential services.The SEC stated that the following should not be deployed in the polling party: personnel of the central govt and its subordinate institutions; personnel who are associated with any candidate; personnel related to essential services. As far as possible, specially abled personnel should not be deployed in the polling parties. As far as possible, women personnel should not be deployed in the polling parties. The presiding officer can take help of local women personnel to identify veiled women voters.The commission issued orders and guidelines Friday for its preparations. All district election officers in the state have been directed to form polling parties.According to the guidelines, a polling party will have five personnel (one polling officer and four assistant polling officers). If elections for all posts of Panchayati Raj institutions (Zila Parishad member, Panchayat Samiti member, Sarpanch, and Ward Panch) are conducted simultaneously, voting for all these will be done through a single polling party.The commission has appointed electoral registration officers (RO) and assistant electoral registration officers for elections in all the panchayat samitis of the state.
