Meghalaya poll officer issues Braille voter I-card

Shillong, April 9 (IANS) Chief Electoral Officer Fredrick Roy Kharkongor of Mehalaya, here on Tuesday, handed the first Braille elector photo identity card to Padmahree Bertha Dkhar, principal of Jyoti Sroat Inclusive School, the first school for the visually impaired people in the state.The initiative is the part of Election Commissions's programme to facilitate participation of differently abled people in the election process.There are 4,986 voters with disabilities and the Election Commission has issued over 800 braille-enabled ballot papers for 797 visually impaired voters across the state.Nine candidates are in the fray for Meghalaya's two Lok Sabha seats, which will go to polls on Thursday. Of them, six are millionaires.Votes can be cast from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m on April 11. Of the 19,14,795 electors in Meghalaya, 32.34 per cent are in the 20-29 years age group, while 52 per cent are women.Among the electors, 11,97,806 voters are in the Shillong constituency that has 36 Assembly seats and 7,16,989 voters will cast their votes in Tura seat that covers 24 Assembly segments.
--IANS rrk/rs/pcj