Election Commission of India notifies essential service staff eligible for postal ballots

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The Election Commission of India, through a notification, named the employees of the essential services eligible for using postal ballots to vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha election in the state.

Those employed in such essential services would be able to cast their vote by postal ballot from their place of posting.

According to the ECI notification, persons employed as and in departments such as: field level engineers and employees of Public Health Engineering Department (PHED); health workers who are engaged in medical related election duties, health workers engaged in emergency duty on the day of poll, person associated with ambulance services; fire & emergency services, traffic police, employees of jail, civil defence and home guards; employees of district emergency operation centre, emergency response support system (ERSS), staff of state emergency operation centre, information assistants of SEO; officers of Directorate of Information & Public Relations (DIPR) and media persons authorised by Election Commission of India; Employees of Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd., (APDCL), Assam Power Generation Corporation Ltd., Assam Power Generation Corporation Ltd. (APGCL), Assam Electricity Grid Corporation Ltd. (AEGCL); officials under long distance services of Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC); BSNL; Railways; Aviation; and Shipping. The commission also informed the Chief Electoral Officer, Assam, through a letter regarding the postal ballot for absentee voters in the category of persons employed in essential services.

The letter also stated that departments of the notified category of electors should be informed accordingly and may be asked to nominate a “Nodal Officer” for the purpose of the postal ballot facility for such electors. The Nodal Officer will be briefed about the facility and the responsibilities and duties to be carried out by him or her. It was also stated that copies of Form 12D appended to the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, should be made available to the Nodal Officer. The nodal officer is also instructed to inform the electors concerned about the facility.

Form 12D is used to send a letter of intimation to the Assistant Returning Officer for absentee voters.

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