The General Election Observer for Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat I Samuel Anand Kumar, Deputy Commissioner Jalandhar Varinder Kumar Sharma and Senior Superintendent of Police Navjot Singh Mahal today said that polling staff would be issued Election Duty Certificate (EDC) and postal ballot papers for enabling them to exercise their franchise.Presiding over a meeting here at district administrative complex, the General Observer, Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police said that around 18,000 employees from the civil and police department would be deployed on election duty for May 19. However, they said that since casting of vote was an important right of every individual due to which these employees would also be allowed to exercise their franchise. They said that the employees, residing within the Jalandhar Parliamentary Constituency and who have been assigned the poll duty, would be issued election duty certificate, which would be shown by them to the presiding officer at the booth where they rendering duty.
The General Observer, Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police said that the presiding officer would then allow them to cast their vote at the same booth through electronic voting machine. They said that for those employees, who were not residents of Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat but were assigned poll duty, would have to fill form 12. Subsequently, they said that the postal ballots would be sent at their addresses, which they would further send to the concerned Returning Officer of their area, to enable them to avail their democratic rights.Pertinently, more than 18,000 employees from centre and state governments, banks and public sector undertaking have been assigned several duties during the polls as counting, polling and even supporting staff besides utilizing their services for micro-observers and Booth Level Officers (BLOs). On the occasion, Additional Deputy Commissioner Mr. Jasbir Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr. PBS Parmar, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr. Sachin Gupta and others were also present.