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| Hours before second phase of local body polls polling staff yet to be deputed to polling stations | | Administration not ready to learn from mistakes made in recent past | | Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Oct 9: Barely few hours before the commencement of second phase of polling for local bodies in Kashmir along with Jammu complete mismanagement was witnessed on ground at Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir. By 9:30 PM, 75 polling parties expected to discharge their duties at equal number of polling booths in the Srinagar district were yet to be deputed to their respective areas. These polling personnel were left to shiver in the cold at Revenue Training Institute (RTI), Bemina and there was nobody who would look after them. "We arrived here at 10:30 in the morning and since then we have been waiting for our deputation to the different polling stations. However by this time (9:30 PM) there is complete confusion and we are yet to be dispatched to our respective polling booths. There is utter chaos and mismanagement on the ground," said a group of employees while sharing views with Early Times.
The employees said that the 75 polling parties consisting of 300 polling personnel have been left to fend at the campus of RTI Bemina and no proper arrangements have been made for them. They alleged that the district administration has failed and the higher ups are just busy in making claims about the arrangements being made.
"Over the past 11 hours or so we have been given a packet of snacks and no other refreshment has provided to us. Since the rooms of RTI are locked we are forced to remain in the open under open sky. The canteens of the Institute are open but it would not serve any purpose given the fact that there are no chairs available," said the employees in one voice.
Yet another group of employees deputed for polling duty at Batmaloo in heart of Srinagar said that there is complete disharmony between the various security agencies. They said the security agencies are also not on the same page of district administration and there is mess all around.
"Despite being at this place for the past 12 hours or so we have just been given light refreshment. No dinner has been provided to us and we are being treated just like beggars. There is no electricity at the various polling stations and as such we are more vulnerable to attacks from people opposing elections," said the employees.
The employees said that instead of dinner they were provided cash in the late hours adding that it is difficult for them to move out and search for some stuff for dinner. They said the district administration has not learnt any lesson from the mistakes made in the past and they continue to repeat them.
"It is an irony that the presiding officers do not know about the details of the wards and they too are dependent on others for such information. The buck stops nowhere and there is nobody who can be held accountable for all the mess. The employees have been made scapegoats in the name of democracy in Kashmir," said the employees. |
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