With a view to facilitate participation of employees who have to change location as part of the Darbar move in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, the Election Commission has approved a scheme which will allow them to cast their votes through postal ballots.
"In order to facilitate the Darbar Move employees to cast their votes in the elections, the Election Commission of India has approved a scheme for voting by postal ballot," an official spokesman said.
There are over about four thousand government employees falling under the category of Darbar move employees, who shift with the change of state capitals from Jammu to Srinagar and vice-versa.
He said that a proposal in this regard was submitted to the EC by J&K's Chief Electoral Officer for approval.
Under the scheme, all those employees of state government and J&K High Court, who have moved from Kashmir Province to Jammu or vice-versa in connection with their service, shall be able to cast their vote through postal ballot system, the spokesperson said.
Section 16 (8) (e) of the J&K Representation of People Act, 1957 read with Section 70 (a) (i) of the of the Act, lays down that a person holding any office under the government and, verified to be moving along with the headquarters of the government, from Kashmir province to Jammu province or vice-versa by such authority as the Governor may, in consultation with the Election Commission specify are entitled to cast their vote by 'Postal Ballot'.
The rule lays down that "the verifying authority specified in pursuance of the provisions of the Act shall furnish to the Returning Officer of the constituency at least 10 days before the date of the poll, a list of the electors verified by him under the said provisions".
