Lok Sabha polls
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 09 2019: The election schedule for the coming 17th Lok Sabha election might be announced on Monday, March 11 and necessary arrangements have been made to have a separate queue for third genders as well as for transportation of disabled individuals.

According to a reliable source, the Election Commission held a meeting yesterday regarding the coming Lok Sabha election and it is highly probable that the election schedule might be announced on March 11.If the date is not announced on March 11, then it will be surely announced within March 15, the source added.

The Chief Electoral Officer Manipur is working tirelessly to make necessary preparations for the coming election and under the instruction of the ECI, a separate queue for third genders who are included in the electoral roll, will be created for the election.

The source pointed out that for the first time, many third genders came out openly and enrolled in the electoral roll and even the election officials had marked them in the electoral roll for easy identification.

Separate toilets will be kept for them as well, the source mentioned, adding that more than 40 third genders have been included in the electoral roll.

On the other hand, under the direction of the ECI, the Chief Electoral Officer, Manipur, will also make necessary transportation arrangements for the disabled individuals whose names are in the electoral roll, the source said.

The CEO office has already collaborated with the District Election Officers to identify volunteers for this said purpose and the selected volunteers will work together with the Booth Level Officers.

The source continued that CEO PK Singh and Joint CEO Ramananda Nongmeikakpam will visit Senapati and Kangpokpi on March 11.The source then mentioned that Governor Dr Najma Heputlla might even cast her vote in a polling station of Imphal West which is manned by women exclusively in the coming election.

It may be mentioned that in the coming election, two polling stations in each Assembly Constituency handled would be exclusively manned by women officials and every ACs will also have a model polling station each.

In the coming election, which might be held in two phases, webcasting will be done in more than 1000 polling stations.

In another first, a mobile app called cVIGIL will also be sued to curb the violation of election code of conduct during the Lok Sabha election.

On the other hand, an order issued on March authorised 11 District Election Officers, Transport Director and Joint Director to requisition necessary manpower and vehicles.

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