Telugu fishermen in eye of twin voter ID storm

By Express News Service
JAGATSINGHPUR: Trouble could also be brewing for Sandhakuda’s Telugu fishermen who’ve rushed to their native locations in Andhra Pradesh to take part within the ensuing panchayat elections. The Jagatsinghpur district administration has launched an investigation to determine individuals having twin voter identification playing cards of Odisha and AP within the slum which homes almost 5000 fishermen of various districts within the neighbouring State. The transfer is available in wake of tons of of fishermen speeding to AP to solid their votes within the rural polls being held in 4 phases on February 5, 9, 13 and 17.

Official sources mentioned Collector Sangram Keshari Mohapatra has directed the Executive Officer of Paradip Municipality to conduct an inquiry and determine the individuals who’ve enrolled voters in two locations by submitting false doc. The municipality has shaped a group and is conducting conferences with native advertising and marketing inspectors, Swachh Sathis and supervisors in addition to PDS retailers for the survey to determine individuals with twin voter ID playing cards in Ward no 17 and 18 of Sandhakuda.

Sources mentioned the vast majority of fishermen residing in Sandhakuda are from East Godavari, Vijayanagaram, Srikakulam, Palasa, Ichapuram and Visakhapatnam districts of AP. In the previous couple of days, tons of of Telugu fishermen have gone to their native villages in AP to solid their votes within the ongoing panchayat elections. Besides, completely different political events of AP have even despatched buses to ferry these fishermen to their native locations to vote in favour of their respective candidates.

Party leaders are even campaigning in Sandhakuda.  On Tuesday, tons of of fishermen left for Danyeapatta panchayat of East Godavari in 4 buses and trains for the polls as the daddy of a Sandhakuda resident was contesting as sarpanch candidate. Similarly on February 5, many Telugu fishermen had left for AP whereas others are getting ready to journey to their native locations on February 12 to take part within the elections.

Khetramohan Behera, an area, alleged that many Telugu fishermen have voter ID and ration playing cards in each AP and Odisha. They are having fun with advantages from each the states whereas real beneficiaries are being ignored by the administration. Executive officer of Paradip Municipality Sourindra Routray mentioned the authorities have engaged a group to analyze twin voter ID registration in multiple constituency. After inquiry, steps shall be taken to delete the names of individuals having two voter playing cards.

As per part 17 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, no particular person could be enrolled as a voter in multiple constituency. Similarly, as per part 31, the particular person shall be punishable with imprisonment for a time period which can lengthen to 1 yr, or with effective, or with each for registration of voters in two locations by submitting false paperwork.