Ahmedabad: Your polling station will have a waiting room too

A waiting area is among the new additions to the facilities being offered by the administration for voters in polling booths this election. Ahmedabad collector Vikrant Pandey said that assured minimum facilities have been provided at all the 1,921 polling station locations and 5,627 polling stations in the district. These include ramps, drinking water, toilets and shades.

“Since it is summer we have made arrangements for mandaps (shades) too at the polling stations. For the first time there will be a waiting room for those who are waiting for their turn to cast their vote,” said Pandey. 

In all 105 polling stations across the district will be managed by women. He said special facilities have been made for the 16,375 electors who have disabilities.

“Of this 716 are those with locomotive disability and wheelchairs will be provided to them on polling day,” said Pandey. 21 polling stations will be manned by people with disabilities. The administration has also put in place medical teams that will be made available at booths.

He added that this election 1.01 lakh new voters had been registered and in fact, the administration created a record of sorts registering 7500 voters at one location in one day. “We also created another record by putting up 3.5 lakh stickers in a day on vehicles. The idea was to ensure that the stickers on the vehicles will act as a message to encourage people to vote,” said Pandey.

Meanwhile, the cash seizure has so far touched over Rs2.88 core including those seized by the IT department and the GST commissionerate. The cops have so far seized Rs 1.35 crore in cash while 46,367 litres of alcohol and 40,546 IMFL bottles have also been seized.