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In a first, 51 booths in Palamu to have women polling officers for Lok Sabha election

DALTONGANJ: Fifty-one polling booths in the Palamu Lok Sabha constituency will manned by woman presiding officers and first polling officials in the general elections this year. There are a total of 1,795 booths in the constituency which spans over over the two districts of Palamu and Garhwa. The district administration has finalised a list of 102 women for the 51 booths.

The administration sources said women officials manning the booths would be the first in the history of Palamu district. The sources said these 51 polling booths will be set up in and around the urban area within 2 km of Daltonganj town with foolproof security.

Unlike in 2014, the Election Commission has asked for a four-member polling party as opposed to a five-member team earlier, said Kumar Tara Chand, who is coordinating the election process in Palamu. He said the district administration has also put a good number of women as “reserve” in case if any woman in the official list fails to turn up for election.

“It sounds good when officials said 51 polling booths to be manned by women in Palamu because poll duty was considered to be a perilous task due to the extremism and activities like laying of land mines, ambushes and assaults,” a polling official said. The sources also said ‘Pink booth’ or ‘Sakhi booth’ will be set up in areas where the number of women voters are numerous.

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