Mumbai, Jul 10 (PTI) Preparations for local body polls in Maharashtra have been initiated with plans to use the voters' list that has been updated till July 1 this year, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said on Thursday.
He was speaking during a video conference held with district collectors to discuss preliminary arrangements for Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samiti, Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat elections, an SEC release said.
"Preparations must be carried out in line with the latest electoral roll available up to July 1. The voters' list prepared by Election Commission of India will be used for these elections, as no separate list is prepared for local body polls. We have already initiated preliminary discussions with ECI in this regard," Waghmare said.
The local body polls are conducted using a multi-member ward system, unlike the Assembly elections, due to which the number of polling stations will increase in comparison, he added.
The State Election Commission has laid down specific criteria through a separate order for determining polling centres, he said while urging officials to ensure adequate facilities at all centres, especially for general voters and persons with disabilities (PwDs).
He said there was need to assess the availability and condition of electronic voting machines, adding that all efforts are being taken to make sufficient EVMs available as per requirement.
State Election Commission secretary Suresh Kakani, who was also present at the meeting, said that first-level checking of EVMs should be taken up immediately and all machines must be made election-ready.
"All necessary security measures related to the handling and storage of EVMs should be implemented well in time. Officials must begin preparations for identifying polling station locations, assessing the condition of buildings, and ensuring availability of all essential facilities," Kakani said.
He further advised that manpower availability must be reviewed periodically and any shortfall addressed promptly by coordinating with concerned divisional commissioners.