Ghaziabad societies get polling booths for residents' ease
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For the first time, voters in ATS Advantage highirise in Ghaziabad's Indirapuram will vote at their doorstep with the district administration providing two new polling booths in the club house of the society. The district administration officials said overall, 33 such high-rises have been selected to have 53 polling booths to ensure ease of voting to residents. ATS high-rise has about 1,968 flats, mostly occupied, and till the previous elections, residents said they had to go to polling booths in Shipra Sun City, DPS Indirapuram and even Niti Khand. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India's general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! "There, they had to stand in long queues and senior citizens faced issues in reaching the polling booths. Now, two booths have come up at our club house and residents have taken this positively. Many in the high-rise will be going to work on Friday and they can now vote and then leave for their offices. Further, not having to travel in summer heat is a relief," said Yatendra Singh, former residents' welfare association (RWA) president. Residents of Express Garden in Indirapuram's Vaibhav Khand have also got a new polling booth at their high-rise. Earlier, they had to go to DPS Indirapuram to cast their votes. "Earlier, the RWA had to arrange buses for residents on voting day. For the first time, residents will just have to come down to our community centre to vote. So we are expecting a high turnout this election," said Rahul Thakur, secretary Express Garden RWA. Abhinav Gopal, Ghaziabad's chief development officer (CDO), said the administration has come up with 33 new polling centres which will have 58 new polling booths. "This facility is for the ease of voters of high-rises and gated societies. We are trying to encourage more people to vote and have held meetings with RWAs. They will help us in motivating and urging voters to come out and vote on April 26," the CDO said. The officials of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation, the agency executing the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project, said on Thursday that they will give passengers with an inked finger an upgrade to the premium coach. "This facility is for voters in Ghaziabad who show us the inked finger and a standard coach ticket through NCRTC app. We will give them a free upgrade to premium coach. This is to encourage more people to vote and the facility will only be for April 26 at all stations between Sahibabad and Modinagar (north) in Ghaziabad," said a spokesperson from NCRTC. The officials of the Ghaziabad municipal corporation said they have ensured "assured minimum facilities (AMF)" at 1,755 polling booths under the corporation area. "The AMF comprises facilities such as clean drinking water, provision of electricity and ramps, among others. We have set up nine model polling booths, including pink booths (all-women booths) with selfie points and decoration to attract voters. Further, there is a voter facilitation centre at every booth," said Vikramaditya Malik, municipal commissioner.