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| STATE ELECTION AUHTORITIES PLANNING TO RAISE MONEY BY SELLING BALLOT BOXES | | | Jammu, November 09
The state election authorities in Jammu and Kashmir are exploring the possibility of selling the obsolete ballot boxes as junk so that the money earned from it could be utilized for improving facilities in the office or for printing pamphlets and brochures disseminating general information about electoral reforms in the state.
It may be mentioned that ever since electronic voting machines were introduced in the state by the State Election authorities they are facing piquant situation on how to handle large quantity of redundant ballot boxes inside store rooms of the state election office.
Sources in the chief electoral office said that more than 16000 ballot boxes are kept inside the store rooms and it is becoming difficult for limited staff present in the office to take care of these boxes.
Unconfirmed reports suggested that some vested interests are eyeing these iron boxes for sale in the open market to earn hefty amount before departmental authorities invite tenders for auctioning.
Official sources said that the Chief Electoral officer has also received inputs from a couple of departmental officials in which it has been conveyed to him that all these ballot boxes should be disposed off or utilized judiciously for decorating corridors and making use of them as flower vases.
They said that these boxes could be used during Panchayat and civic elections but there was still a long period to for these elections and by that time the ballot boxes, stored in the office,may become unusable.
According to these sources, the chief electoral officer was contemplating to introduce EVMs during the Panchayat and civic elections. The Assembly election is due in 2008 in case no constitutional crisis developed warranting a midterm poll. |
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