KALABURAGI: In a first, the election staff deputed in 2,378 polling stations spread across nine Assembly constituencies in Kalaburagi district will get fresh food instead of packed food packets for breakfast and lunch on May 7, the day of polling, Deputy Commissioner Fouzia Tarannum who is also the District Election Officer, has said.
Speaking to TNIE on Monday, the DC said that food will be provided to the staff in Gulbarga South and North constituencies by the Kalaburagi Mahanagara Palike, while in the remaining seven segments, the task has been entrusted to the Department of School Education.
The Department of School Education will prepare food with help from the Akshara Dasoha staff in a room at each of the polling stations for 10–12 members, including the police. In the morning, the polling staff would be given breakfast and tea, and in the afternoon, they would get freshly made meals, including roti, she added. Fouzia said that a total of 2,804 presiding officers, 5,608 assistant presiding officers, 5,608 polling officers, and 270 micro-observers have been deputed on election duty.
Each polling station would have a presiding officer, an assistant presiding officer, two polling officers, a group ‘D’ employee, and a police constable. Arrangements have been made for providing drinking water to the voters and a restroom in every polling station. To attract voters, especially women and first-time voters, five ‘Sakhi’ pink booths, one youth booth, one PWD booth, and a theme-based booth have been set up in every Assembly segment, Fouzia said. “The theme-based polling booth will highlight the historical importance of the region,” she added.