District admn creates awareness among transgenders, disabled voters

Ludhiana: Under the ongoing systematic voters’ education and electoral participation (SVEEP) activities, the district administration has prepared a special programme for the transgender voters and people with disabilities (PwD), to urge them to cast their votes. The officials are conducting meetings with transgender people. Effort is also on to identify PwD voters to help them reach polling stations on the day of election. To create awareness, a special event is also being planned for PwD voters by the administration next month.
For PwD voters, a special mobile application has also been launched from where they can get information about the polling stations. Pick up and drop facilities will also be provided by the administration. The officials said that they have already started the verification of the PwD voters — they have already traced 5,099 PwD voters.

However, the officials claimed that it is difficult to get transgender people enrol in the voters’ list. Only 59 are enrolled in 14 constituencies of Ludhiana district. The officials met the heads of transgender groups and urged them to get their people apply for voter cards.

Neeru Katyal Gupta, additional deputy commissioner (Jagraon), in charge of SVEEP activities, said: “We are doing several activities in low voter turn out areas, as there are directions for 100% voting in the elections. Street plays will be organised for labourers from Monday onwards and we have made special awareness programmes for the transgenders and PWD voters.”

Gupta said that that they are also familiarising VVPAT EVM machines among the public.

14 sakhi polling stations identified

The district administration has already identified 14 polling stations in the district, to be manned by women staff on polling day. Each constituency will have one polling station each. This is done to increase the participation of women in election activities.