Scheme for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) of Manipur

The Election Commission of India (ECI) recently notified a Scheme for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) of Manipur to vote at Relief Camps in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

About Scheme for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP):

• A large number of electors registered in several parts of Manipur were displaced from their native places during the ethnic conflict.
• The displaced electors reside in Relief Camps and are enrolled from original places of residence before the conflict started.
  • The Manipur government operates around 320 relief camps with more than 59,000 men, women, and children staying in them.
• The ECI in consultation with the Central and State Governments decided to modify the electoral rolls of assembly and parliamentary constituencies concerned.
• As per the past precedent of similar nature, internally displaced electors shall be given the facility to vote at ‘Special polling Stations’ to be set up in Relief camps.
• An Additional Deputy Commissioner or an officer of equivalent rank or SDO may be designated as Assistant Returning Officer for each district.
  • Returning officer is the statutory authority to conduct the polling, counting process and to decide validity of ballot paper
• The ECI scheme stated that the maximum number of voters at each special polling station would be 1,200.
• If the number of voters exceeds 1,200, more than one booth may be provided in the same special polling station.
• Special stations shall be notified for a cluster of relief camps with a specific special polling station earmarked for a group of relief camps.
• The poll shall be conducted by using separate electronic voting machines (EVMs) for each parliamentary or state constituency.
• All the rules and instructions applicable to the conduct of poll at the original polling stations will apply at these polling stations.