Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)

Mangaluru, May 3: With less than two weeks for the Karnataka Assembly elections, Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat is leaving no stone unturned to ensure voter turnout. The ZP officials have identified 10,911 voters with disabilities and are making arrangements so that they can exercise their franchise.

Addressing media in Mangaluru on Wednesday, May 2, DK ZP CEO Dr M R Ravi informed that among 10,911 voters with disabilities, 5,756 are physically challenged, 829 are blind, 1006 are deaf and 3,320 are having other disabilities.

Special arrangements are done to facilitate these voters. There is a need of wheelchairs in 437 polling booths across the district and the same have been procured from three sources. The health and family welfare department will provide 140 wheelchairs, 110 through the MRPL CSR fund to the health department and 60 wheelchairs from private hospitals. The district and taluk health officials and the sector officials will ensure that the wheelchairs will reach the concerned constituencies, Dr Ravi said.

Voters with vision impairment have been identified across 452 polling booths and magnifying glasses will be made available to them at the polling station. As many as 135 vehicles are required to help endosulfan patients in Beltangady and Puttur to commute, he added.

As many as 11,500 officers will be deputed at the polling stations. They have been given special training on soft skills and crowd management. Booth level awareness groups which include booth level officers will distribute voters slip if required.

There will be five ethnic polling stations in places where tribals reside such as Neriya, Madya, Sullia. Tribal Welfare Associations have joined hands and called in an artist to design the polling station as per tribal culture and traditions, making the polling station a decorative one, he said.

“We have 20 pink polling booths, five each in Mangaluru, Mangaluru South and North constituencies and one each in other constituencies. This booth will be women friendly and focuses on women empowerment. Pink booths will be manned by women who will be dressed in pink colour. Out of 20 pink polling stations, two booths in Mangaluru South constituency - the one at Ladyhill and Gandhinagar School will be considered as model booths. These booths will be very unique as they will have a lounge facility with TV and special arrangements for small kids who accompany the voters,” informed the ZP CEO.