3,000 specially abled voters of Arunachal to get ramps, vehicles to reach booths

Around 3,000 differently abled voters of Arunachal Pradesh will be provided with special vehicles to reach polling booths in hilly areas and ramps in plains. State Chief Electoral Officer Kaling Tayeng Monday said the Election Commission would build ramps in booths in the plains for voters with disabilities.

In hilly and difficult areas, the authorities would arrange for special vehicles and other logistics if those voters make such a request, he said. These special vehicles would bring the differently abled voters from home to the polling stations and take them back.

The CEO lamented that he does not have the exact number of voters with disabilities in the state. "Many of the physically challenged voters in the state did not like to register as disabled voters during enrolment.

For this, we face difficulty in getting the record of the exact number of such voters," he told a press conference here. Arunachal Pradesh will go for simultaneous Parliamentary and Assembly elections on April 11 this year along with other three states.

To a question on how to tackle flood and landslides as monsoon rain will begin in April, Tayeng said helicopter would be deployed to transport election materials and personnel to remote areas in case of rain and flood. Back-up teams would be put on place to transport men and materials in case of landslides, he said.

"We have successfully conducted several elections in the state during monsoon earlier. I don't think there will be any problem this year too with most of the places in the state are now well connected with all-weather roads," Tayeng added. Asked about use of money by political parties to influence voters, Tayeng said voters also need to be ethical and reject the money culture.

(With inputs from agencies.)