Postal ballots to be facilitated as quick

Neelabh Srivastava

New Delhi, Nov 25 (PTI) Aimed at smooth transit of postal
ballots, the Indian Postal Department has made special
arrangements for the Assembly polls in six states by setting
up temporary post boxes and ensuring their quick dispatch.

"The bags containing postal ballots and election-related
materials are marked most urgent and top priority. The
Department will ensure the quickest dispatch of such mails to
their destinations," Deputy Director General, Department of
Posts, Brigadier Y P S Mohan told PTI.

Thousands of postal ballots cast by Army and
para-military personnel belonging to Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Mizoram
will be facilitated by the department, he said.

The Inspectorate of Records or the Army Postal Service
liaisons with record offices of the around 60 Army regiments
to facilitate the postal ballots of the jawans. The procedure
has already begun with the registration of jawans being done
at their native places.

State governments have also instructed their staff to
highlight election mails and priorities their movement.

"We have asked our internal machinery to label poll mails
as top priority. Requests for the transportation of more than
6,000 postal ballots have already been sought by the Delhi
election authorities," Assistant Superintendent of Posts
(Mail), Delhi circle, P C Sharma said.

"The Department has installed a post box specifically
for postal ballots at the rehabilitation centre in Jammu.
Special bags labelled 'priority' are being used to facilitate
poll mails," Chief Post Master General (CPMG), Jammu and
Kashmir circle D K Budki said.

Rajasthan postal circle has nominated nodal officers for
the purpose of receiving postal ballot bags and other such
materials through the Rail Mail Service (RMS).

"3526 postal ballots have already been facilitated for
the state on the request of election authorities," CPMG
Rajasthan circle Santhosh Gaurier said.

The Madhya Pradesh (MP) postal authorities are liaisoning
with the state Chief Electoral Officer and the Election
Commission in New Delhi.

"The divisional heads under our circle have been
instructed to have sufficient stationery related to elections
since November 11. In case the situation demands, we will also
be able to extend the timings of some of our offices," MP CPMG
Kalpana Tiwari said.