E-voting kaput,BMC sets eyes on GIS maps

Deputy Election Commissioner Chand Goel said once uploaded on the website,the satellite imagery maps will prove handy to Internet users as the number of polling booths will double compared to the last civic elections. While the number of polling booths was 6,952 in 2007,the number has increased to about 11,000 this time since the number of maximum voters per booth has been reduced from 1,500 to 1000 and number of voters has also increased.

An official from the BMC’s election department said at present their website only has base maps that show the boundaries of each ward. “The idea is to make these maps detailed. We want to put minute details of all roads with names and important landmarks. Once that is done,we will put red dots on the maps to show polling booths. When a citizen clicks on a particular booth,he/she will get the address and a list of voters for that particular booth,” he said.

The election department is in consultation with BMC’s IT cell for drawing up the tenders,which will be floated next week. “We are also trying to incorporate other details of the ward such as the population,major projects undertaken during the past five years etc,” the official said.