Srinagar, October 11, 2018 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, the authorities did not care to provide food, bedding and any furniture to the polling staff deployed at the government-run library in Fateh Kadal area of Srinagar where a polling station was set up for the second phase of sham local bodies’ elections.
Nearly 10 polling staff members were sitting in the hall above the library on the naked floor, without food, and with no table or chair around. “Voters would have had to sit on the ground to cast their vote, an inconvenience that did not much matter because hardly any voter turned up,” a report carried by a section of local media said.
“We reached here at 11pm Tuesday night. The floor was uncovered. There was no furniture and we were not provided any food by the government,” the report said while quoting one of the polling staff. The polling staff members were brought here from Bemina, where they had lunch on Tuesday afternoon. Since then, they had not been provided any food by the authorities.
“I have done many polling duties in the past, but it was never that we were without food. I have never seen a day and night like this in my life,” said another polling staff, who is a gazetted officer. As regards turnout, the report quoting employees assigned with poll duties inside the polling station said that out of nine polling booths set up inside the school, six recorded zero percent voting till 10.15 am.
“Few voters cast their votes early in the morning. We are waiting but it seems people have boycotted the polls as nobody is coming forward to vote,” said a poll staff member. Similar situation was reported from mostly other areas of the Valley which underwent bogus polling on Wednesday.
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