As per instructions of Election Commission of India (ECI), the State Election Department had ensured provision of all facilities for the voters with disabilities including providing them Form 12-D and postal ballots. However, their enthusiasm seemed to be sky high and their participation in the biggest democratic UTSAV was laudable and far beyond expectation as out of 56343 PwD voters, around 49917 such voters preferred to cast their votes at the polling booths.
Stating this here today, the Chief Electoral officer (CEO) Maneesh Garg said that 6882 PwD voters with more than 40 percent disability who opted for postal ballot facility were issued postal ballots, out of which 6426 of them cast their vote from home through specially deployed teams.
One such PwD voter was Pawan Kumar (34) of Banjan village of Arki Assembly Constituency (AC), who preferred to visit the nearest polling booth.
A Computer teacher in Saraswati Vidya Mandir, a private school in Mangu in Solan district, Pawan said that he was proud to participate by visiting the polling booth on his own and cast his vote, adding that the Election Department though had made elaborate arrangements for special category voters, but “I prefer to move on by myself, though I was offered a wheelchair by the authorities, but I refused for the same”. Pawan said that he wants to motivate other voters like him and spread a message that ‘where there is a will there’s a way’.
Similarly, Om Prakash (50) from Ser-Bharaal village of Baag Pashog Panchayat in Pachhad AC, who is bedridden from last eight years, voted through postal ballot after gap of 11 years or so, said that due to the new initiative of the Election Commission of India, it was for the first time in the State that special category voters were involved in the election process by way of postal ballots. ‘I thank the CEO, Maneesh Garg who visited me personally to motivate me and honour me besides thanking me for participating in the electoral process’, said he.
Various initiatives like issuing Form-12D for 80 plus, PwD and essential services voters have borne encouraging results in Himachal Pradesh as 98.5 percent Postal Ballots were received.
