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CEO PK Singh addressing the press conference in Imphal on Thursday.[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Imphal, Jan 17(EMN): In the upcoming Lok Sabha Election a total of 19,30,912 electors including 9,90,960 female and 26 third gender will exercise their franchise across 2,861 polling stations including 603 urban and 2,258 rural stations in Manipur.
“This is for the first time that trans-genders have done registration,” said Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) PK Singh.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, the CEO announced that the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) will be used for the first time in the State in 17th Lok Sabha Election for the service voters who were registered.
Manipur become the first state in the country to publish the (final) electoral rolls and upload it on ERO Net of Manipur, he said. The final list of the voters will be published on February 22.
Stating that for the first time VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) will be used across all the polling stations, he said the ECI has lowered the limit of cash transactions by candidates for campaigning purposes from INR 20,000 to INR 10,000 per day.
Informing that special focus has been given to the Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) who are marked at above 4,000 in the electoral roll, he said that for the first time EPIC and Voters Slip will be printed in braille for the blind voters apart from giving preferences to the PWDs to exercise their franchise, mapping them with volunteers and providing transportation. He informed that above 800 blind voters have been marked till date.
A helpline number 1950 will be launched on National Voters Day (Jan 25) and a model polling station will be set up with basic amenities in every constituency, the CEO said.
He said that the state has achieved 100% photo electoral rolls and issued 100% EPIC. The distribution process of remaining 53,000 EPIC cards will be done on January 25.