Officials with physical disabilities to manage polling at eight booths in Dakshina Kannada

Assistant Professor Chandrika Nayak presides over a polling booth managed entirely by persons with disabilities in Mangaluru.

An Assistant Professor of Government College in Balmatta, Chandrika Nayak, has discharged polling duty in different capacities during the last six years. This is the first time she is on duty as the presiding officer of polling booth no. 143 at Government High School at Attavar in the city, where only persons with disabilities (all officials) will manage polling.

Vasant Raj, a Junior Engineer with the Public Works Department, is the Assistant Presiding Officer (APRO) in the same booth. J. Dorothy, the in-charge Head Master of Government Primary School in Mallikatte, and Dakshayini, a typist in the Regional Transport Department, are the polling officers in the same booth that has about 800 voters.

This polling booth is among eight booths that will be entirely managed by persons with disabilities in the Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency which will go to the polls on Friday, April 26. One polling booth in each of the eight Assembly constituencies has been designated as PwD personnel manned polling station.

“Polling duty is no different and is continuation of our regular duty. Yes, is it a challenge for disabled persons to run the booth. We are ready for it,” said Ms. Dorothy, who has done polling duty since last 10 years. For Dakshayini this is the second year of polling duty.

The other seven polling booths in the district which will be managed by PwDs are booth no. 170 in Pompai Aided Government Higher Primary School (GHPS) Kandavara in Mangaluru North Assembly constituency; booth no. 202 in Government Upgraded HPS Talittabettu in Mangaluru Assembly constituency; booth no. 200 in GHPS Bolanturu in Bantwal Assembly constituency; booth no. 188 in GHPS Tingalady Kedambady in Puttur Assembly constituency; booth no. 236 in GHPS Upparapalike in Belthangady Assembly constituency; booth no. 94 Pompai College Ikala in Moodbidri Assembly constituency; and booth no. 162 in GHPS in Narnakaje in Sullia Assembly constituency.

A total of 72 model polling stations have been set up. It includes 40 “Sakhi” booths that are managed by women, and eight polling stations each designated as “young voters booths”, “traditional booths” and “mission based booths” in Dakshina Kannada district.