The Lok Sabha elections in
Jharkhand will be held in three phases on April 10, 17 and 24. In the
meanwhile, the polling authorities have committed a bizarre error.
In Jharkhand, several physically disabled government officials have been assigned with the poll duties.
The 42-year-old Raj Kumar who walks with the help of a crutch has been appointed as the poll officer for the election period.
Kumar told Mail Today ‘In the official letter, it is clearly
mentioned that I am handicapped. Still they assigned me on poll duty.
Even if I report to the polling booth, I will be unable to discharge my
duty in right earnest.'
Similarly, John Barla who shares the same plight as Kumar has been
made the presiding officer for Lok Sabha elections in the region. Barla
is an assistant teacher at the middle school. He is physically
handicapped and uses a crutch to move.
John Barla, 55, told Mail Today 'I submitted an application before
the block development officer- cum- block election officer on Saturday.
But he blamed me for filing my application late, due to which he said he
has no power to delete my name from poll duty now.'
Similar is the case with Devanad Jha as well. He is also assigned
the poll duty of presiding officer which he might not be able to
deliver. Jha is employed at the state irrigation department.
'I have come to the Deputy Commissioner’s office for requesting the
seniors to remove my name from the poll duty list', he told Mail Today.
Vinay Choubey, the Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner of the
region said that complete verification will be done in the case in
order to differentiate genuine cases. Also, such cases of physically
challenged employees will be exempted, he said.
Notably, Federation of University Teachers Association of Jharkhand
want senior teachers to be exempted from poll duties. Thus, it has
threatened the authorities to take legal action against them.
Source : Daily Bhaskar , 7th April 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment