Malda Training Diary - Administrative Training Institute

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22 and 23 Representation of Peoples Act [GO: every application for inclusion u/s 23 to be
verified locally about age, citizenship, residing (at least 6 months before qualifying date),
sanity]. Petitions can be given at all times but latest (for inclusion) before one week before
last date of nomination.
The Presiding Officer [Pr.O.] must check that the polling station [P.S] is O.K for election i.e.
exit, entrance, voting compartment, materials (voter list, ballot paper), check ballot box, show
empty box to polling agents of parties & put inside it an Identity Slip of P.S. If no agents,
Pr.O can proceed. Close it with slit open for poll.
Folding:
a)Vertically, so that name of candidate & his symbol synchronise.
b)Horizontally to conceal b.p. no.
When voter comes, Pr.O is to announce his name & part roll no. for benefit of polling agents.
After each voter has come, underlines his name & ticks women voters.
P.O. 2 nd will put indelible ink on root of left index finger nail [none for lepers].
P.O. 3 will explain election process.
1 st & last sl.nos. of ballot papers of the P.S. can be told to the polling agents if desired by
them.
Each b.p. has a counterfoil where sl. no., name & signature of each voter is needed.
P.O. signs behind b.p. and on reverse opposite b.p. no., puts distinguishing mark of the P.S.
which will stay visible after horizontal fold so that genuineness can be checked while being
cast.
Challenged Vote: Must deposit Rs. 2 fee with Pr.O with receipt in return. Agent to convince
Pr.O & if a prima facie case appears, the voter must rebut it.
After it Pr.O may himself enquire. If challenge fails, allow voting & forfeit money unless not
mala fide challenge, & fill in the particular form. If proved, return money & send voter to
police station.
Tendered Votes: Onus on claimant. If Pr.O is satisfied, he can vote after filling in the list and
signing. Supply him with b.p. from reverse & keep the vote in a separate cover.
Spoilt & Cancelled Vote: If bona fide mistake, issue fresh b.p. & note its no. in roll, & retain
S.C. vote in separate cover.
Returned Cancelled: Separate cover after endorsing on back.
Postal Ballot given to voter posted on election duty outside his constituency.
Election Duty Cert. given if on duty in same const. but in a P.S without his part roll. He can
vote in this P.S. Pr.O to note it at end of part roll, mark it EDC.
Time: 7 am to 5 pm non-stop. No one to be allowed to enter compound after 5 p.m. Those
arriving before can vote till all have done so, however long it might take.
Pr.O to fill in Form 16, Pt I, 8 sec that columns 1 + 2 = cols. 3-5
B.box to be sealed, put Identity mark of P.S., address tag. Wrap in cloth, sew it, seal & tie
with tape & seal again. Agents may seal wherever Pr.O does.
Only ERO, ARO, candidate & poll agents & anyone authorised by Election Commission can
enter the voting station.
SDO advised never to act according to oral advice of HC but ask him to put up a note quoting
relevant GO in support. He also told me that in Malda no record of G.O.s was maintained!
Here Part Rolls were made in 1965/6 most haphazardly by BDOs so that it is impossible to
split them for convenience of polling stations if reqd. Silly mistakes like stamps of “ERO
Malda”, when ERO can only be for some constituencies, has been current for decades.
4.2.1972
Work done :
1) Attended Election Enquiry by S N Roy Chowdhury.
2) Began Treasury Training (2 p.m.– 5 p.m.).