Drinking water,ORS packs missing from polling booths

For the 1,328 polling booths in the district,thousands of ORS packs were reportedly purchased but they could not find their way to the polling booths.

Newsline visited polling booths in Model Town,Model Town Extension,Model Gram,Focal Point,Giaspura,Gill Road and Dugri but could not find drinking water facility or ORS packets .

Kiran Kumar,a voter in Model Gram,was seen grumbling,“While political parties woo voters by giving them liquor,a genuine voter is not even provided with water. I have been standing in the scorching heat for the last half an hour but the provision of drinking water is missing from the booth.”

In villages,supporters of various parties had made drinking the provision for water but ORS packs could not be seen anywhere.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Kuldeep Singh said,” I did not receive a single complaint. In fact,I visited a few booths,where the arrangements were perfect.”

Latecomers

Nearly 40 employees deputed on the election duty reached the Mini Secretariat late. Hence,SDM (west) Prem Chand did not wait for them and took the reserve staff on poll duty. The latecomers were told that they will not be given any election duty wages. The staff,however,staged a dharna as a mark of protest.

Kids press the button

Although adults were to cast their votes,in many polling booths children were seen accompanying their parents. Children pressed the EVM buttons on the instructions of their parents.

For a ride

Candidates had offered special services for pick up and drop facilities for voters against the guidelines of the Election Commission.In Shimlapuri,more than 200 taxis were hired by political parties for the purpose. The rent per taxi was Rs 1,000 and petrol expenses at the rate Rs 3 per km.