As per the theme of Election Commission of India to make booth accessible to all voters, Patna District magistrate Kumar Ravi on Sunday instructed all the sector officers to personally meet people with disabilities and meet their requirements on Election Day to ensure they cast their vote.

The DM gave instruction at a meeting held at Bapu sabhaghar to impart training to the sector officers for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Altogether 32,650 voters with disabilities have been identified in Patna district till now. The DM said more such voters would be identified to help them on Election Day. “be it pick or drop service, wheelchair or any other requirements, sector officers will ensure people with disabilities to do not face any difficulties either in reaching the booth or casting their votes,” DM told to a local news. A survey in this regard has been going on for last three months.

Total 427 sector officers have been identified for duty at 4,260 polling booths in Patna district. Deputy election officer R Nilay said one sector officer will look after 10 to 12 booths. They will get the power of a magistrate a week before the elections. They are mainly junior engineers, supervisors and officials of labour enforcement department.

These officers were also imparted training on law and order and model code of conduct. They have been asked to physically verify the booths allotted to them and ensure their basic facilities like drinking water and toilets. They have also been instructed to identify vulnerable pockets, if any, and send a report in this regard to the election commission within three days of the election dates announcements.

Apart from sectors officers, there will be 51 flying squads consisting a videographer, a police officer and a magistrate each to keep a watch on rallies and public meetings and their expenditures. Another cell named “accounting team” will compare the expenditures done in actual with that shown by the candidate. Nilay said at least 35,000 polling personnel will be deployed in various positions in Patna district to ensure fair and smooth election.

Patna district has 45, 87,998 electors, out of which 24, 11,985 are males and 21, 75,836 are females besides 177 transgenders. Maximum 11, 58,060 voters are 20 to 29 years age group.

  Disability, Election Commission