M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, May 22: Palamu administration gave Rs 5 lakh as immediate ex gratia relief to the bereaved family of the 53-year-old polling officer Nand Lal Rajak who died before he could have reached the counter at the strong room to deposit polled boxes on May 19.
Rajak was on poll duty under the Naudiha block in Palamu who was a para teacher hailing from Nawa Bazar.
Confirming this the district Election Officer cum DC Palamu Shashi Ranjan said, “We have given a cheque worth 5 lakhs of rupees drawn in favour of the widow of the deceased polling officer Nand Lal Rajak.”
DC further said that this 5 lakh rupee is a part of Rs 15 lakh ex gratia relief that the state election commission gives in the event of death of polling personnel or official or security personnel or security official etc on poll duty.
“Once we get Rs 15 lakh as ex gratia relief from the state election commission, we will adjust our 5 lakhs from it. The administration is committed to providing the entire amount of the ex gratia relief within a month,” DC added.
However, death during the poll duty of any drafted or engaged personnel by the administration, irrespective of the job that the deceased held, the election commission makes no discrimination in the grant of the ex gratia relief.
Meanwhile, DDC Megha Bhardwaj has made a strong appeal to the voters and polling officials to ensure that voters use rubber stamps in place of their thumbs to stamp a candidate on the ballot paper.
Sources said that the administration has found several ballot papers with thumb impression instead of the stamping by the rubber stamp leading to a large number of votes going waste and rejected.
