The Madras High Court on Thursday directed the Chief Electoral Officer to provide all basic facilities to polling staff and policemen who are on election duty.
The Vacation Bench of Justices K.K. Sasidharan and S. Vimala, however, said, “This direction should not be construed as an expression of opinion that the Election Commission has not taken any steps for providing basic minimum facilities to police force on election duty. It is only for the purpose of ensuring that minimum facilities are available to all the polling staff and policemen on duty in all polling stations and in other places in connection with election duty, we have issued the direction.”
The Bench passed the direction on a plea moved by Tamil Nadu Sudhesi Penkal Padhukappu Sangam seeking to direct the Election Commission, to provide mobile toilet facilities to woman constables engaged in election duty.
During the hearing, the petitioner submitted that the Commission has not made any arrangements to provide toilet facilities to women police engaged in election work, though a representation was made highlighting the issue on April 15.
EC assurance
Denying the allegation, standing counsel for the Election Commission submitted that the Commission has provided toilet facilities in 65,512 polling stations which would cover 99.84 percent. “The Commission has assured that temporary facilities would be provided in remaining polling stations on the date of poll,” he added.
Noting that the court sees considerable force in the submission made by the petitioner, the Bench said, “The newspapers have reported that Central Paramilitary Force, who have arrived for election duty at Central Railway Station, Chennai, recently, were made to wait in the station for hours together without food and water. They are also human beings, entitled to the right guaranteed under Article 21 of the constitution.”
Such things should not happen. State police force as well as Central forces should be given basic minimum facilities both in the polling stations as well as in other locations where they are assigned election duty. It would not be possible for the polling staff and policemen to discharge their duty in this peak summer without providing them reasonable facilities, the judges added and disposed of the plea.
