EC wants 750 N Kol booths brought to ground level

Kolkata: An Election Commission directive to poll-bound states has placed most of the 750 north Kolkata booths under the scanner.

The poll panel wants election-bound states to bring down all ‘above the ground floor’ booths to ground level. Bengal has already started the process of bringing downstairs 1,565 such booths, of which 750 are in north Kolkata, to facilitate voting by PwDs (persons with disability) and senior citizens.

“We are a little worried about north Kolkata because it houses half the state’s above-ground-level polling stations. In north Kolkata, there are 2,083 polling stations, including 215 auxiliary booths, of which approximately 40% are upstairs. This is not only a problem for physically challenged persons but is a hardship for senior citizens too. We have already started the process of bringing the booths downstairs and hope to complete it before the announcement of election,” said a senior election official of north Kolkata.

The EC also held a detailed meeting to discuss probable dates, and the law and order situation ahead of polls in four states and one UT. According to sources, deputy election commissioner in charge of West Bengal Sudip Jain will hold a videoconference from Delhi with Bengal’s district electoral officers and SPs from 3.30pm to 6.30pm on Thursday.

“The commission has discussed district-wise law and order situation of all states, availability of forces, deployment pattern, vulnerability factors, and parameters of sensitivity of booths. The recent violence at several places, the blast where a minister was injured, and other reports of violence have been taken into account and a detailed report has been prepared. Jain, who was present at the meeting, has been apprised of the situation,” the official said.