To make sure that the elections are a smooth affair, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation is taking necessary steps to meet a major challenge – that of taking care of the 46,000 polling staff tasked for the job.
The officials on election duty, drawn from various government departments, had taken charge of polling booths by Monday afternoon. For the first time, the food for the officials is being taken care of by the Akshaya Patra Kitchens of the Hare Krishna Foundation. A total of 22,000 kilogramme of rice, 5,000 kg of dal, and 3,500 kg of tomato and potato curries will be prepared and transported to the polling booths across Greater Hyderabad region for the staff involved in the election duty.
However, on Monday, officials at City College in the old city protested citing poor facilities at the polling centre. In Rajendranagar too, polling staff raised slogans against the Presiding Officer for lack of drinking water facility and delayed supply of meals. “There were many diabetics among the staff who came to perform the election duty. We were told during the training camp that the food will be supplied at 11 a.m. but we did not get it till 2 p.m.,” said one of the protesting election workers.
The GHMC officials said that adequate arrangements have been already made and any complaints in this regard will be take care of.
“Right from drinking water to two meals, we have taken care of the basic facilities. Even toilets are there in most booths. If there are any polling stations with no toilets, then we have instructed the officials to talk to one of the house owners in the neighbourhood to let the officials use the toilets,” said Surender Mohan, Additional Commissioner, GHMC.
