Mr. Keshav Vhandra, Chief Electoral Officer, Goa on Friday issued a circular to make Goa's polling stations no-smoking areas so that voters are able to cast their votes in a smoke-free environment.
The State unit of Voluntary health Association of India(VHAI), health-care NGO and National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication(Note)-India had appealed to the CEO to ensure polling stations be made smoke-free. The CEO in the circular has asked the Returning Officers (ROs), Assistant ROs and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers to take appropriate measures in this regard.
The directive mentions that as polling booths are public places, the circular is in sync with Section 4 of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, which states that smoking is prohibited in all public places. Section 4 also states that a mandatory display signage must be posted in public places.
The Election Commission of India had earlier issued instructions in its handbook to all the presiding officers to impose complete ban on smoking inside all polling booths throughout the country. Chapter IX Section 7.0 of the Handbook has directed all the polling officers to ensure that no smoking is allowed inside their polling stations. It further adds that neither polling officer nor the polling agents are allowed to smoke inside the polling station.
Goa has 1,622 polling stations spread across two parliamentary constituencies going to polls on Saturday.
