- Election Training — 1500 people asked for exemption from election duty in Bhopal, 500 applications rejected, 958 got relief
Chronicle Reporter, Bhopal
About 1500 employees had applied to get relief from Lok Sabha election duties. Out of these, only 958 employees could get relief, while the applications of about 500 have been rejected.
Joint Collector Aditya Singh said that the second phase of training of election personnel will start from April 25. If those whose duty has been canceled do not attend training, they will be immediately suspended.
Duty of polling personnel has been imposed in Lok Sabha elections. In fact, to avoid election duty, some were trying to get the duty reduced by citing illness and some by giving a wedding card. More than 250 such applications have come to the authorities, in which a request has been made to remove the name citing marriage. Many employees are regularly bringing written forms from private hospitals and doctors detailing their long illness and treatment. The employees are worried as the weddings will take place till 18th May. Therefore want to be free from election duty. Personnel found fit in medical examination-
According to officials, most of the employees whose applications were canceled had cited illness, but they were found fine during medical examination. For this reason his duty was not cancelled. There were more applications for problems due to serious illness, pregnancy and small children. They were examined. There were also 500 applications in which illness was mentioned, but the employees were found fit in the medical board. Therefore their duty was not cancelled.
1500 applications received in 10 days
It was told that more than 1500 applications were received for cancellation of election duty in just 10 days. Still some employees are arriving with applications, but their applications are not being accepted because training is going to take place from today. Among those seeking cancellation of duty, 70 to 80 applications are from cancer-stricken personnel and more than 100 applications are from pregnant women who are unable to perform duty. 200 applications are from women employees who have small children. 700 applications include those suffering from heart and other diseases, 200 applications where both husband and wife are in government jobs and both are on duty. Apart from the applications of the field employees of the Forest Department, a medical board was formed for those officers and employees who had cited health issues. Investigation was done in JP Hospital. After this the district administration took the final decision regarding duty.