Garhshankar, October 6 - A large number of husbands and wives have been deployed on election duty in the Panchayat elections, due to which they are worried about their children that who will take care of their children during the election duty of two days and nights and with whom will they leave the children?
In this regard, District President of Democratic Teachers Front Punjab (DTF) Sukhdev Dansiwal, District Secretary Inder Sukhdeep Singh Odra and Finance Secretary Manjit Singh Dasuha said through a press note that since these are the elections of Gram Panchayats. In which there are different candidates in each village, so they cannot influence the election in any way, so all the women and male employees should not be posted in other assembly constituencies or other blocks but near their place of residence. And if both husband and wife are government employees, then the wife should be exempted from election duty so that she can take care of her children at home.
District Election Officer cum Deputy Commissioner Hoshiarpur has already ordered the BLOs to be present at the booths. But yesterday they got new election duty due to which all the BLOs of the district are confused as to how they can do two duties simultaneously? They demanded that pregnant, widowed and divorced women BLOs should not be put on election duty. Women employees should not be appointed as presiding officers in the Panchayat elections due to fear of mutual discord.
The leaders also demanded that employees should be made to sit in the shade during rehearsals, fans, drinking water, food, vehicle parking and smooth traffic should be provided near the rehearsal venue, maximum number of counters should be made for giving and depositing election material and instructions related to depositing the material should be given in writing on time. The leaders said that letters should also be issued to local organizations like Sarpanchs, Numberdars, Gram Panchayats, Nagar Parishads and social service organizations to make arrangements for accommodation, cots, beds, fans, food and water etc. for the election employees and if mid-day meal workers have been given the responsibility of feeding the election employees, then maximum funds should be released to schools for the purchase of ration etc. And every mid-day meal worker should be given a remuneration of at least ?1000 per worker.
There was also a demand to run special night buses to take the employees from the place where voting machines and other items are deposited to their homes on the day before the election and after the election is over. The delegation also demanded that every employee should be treated with respect by the higher officials during election duty and rehearsals etc.