VASCO: Age is just a number for 101-year-old Bagawwa Kolkar, who availed the option of ‘vote from home facility’ and exercised her franchise at Shantinagar, Vasco on Tuesday.
Kolkar enthusiastically cast her vote ahead of the May 7 Lok Sabha election at a polling booth arranged in her house.
Since Monday Election Commission officers, accompanied by booth level officers (BLO), have been travelling across the State, to ensure ballot voting for citizens aged 85 years and above Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) are assisted in exercising their voting rights at their homes.
There are 275 voters of 85 years and above and 92 PWDs in the Mormugao taluka. The highest 110 senior citizens and 45 PWDs are in the Cortalim constituency followed by 71 senior citizens and 20 PWDs in Vasco constituency.
Also there are 11,502 voters in 85 plus age category and 9,423 PwD voters with 40 per cent benchmark disability registered across the State, who can avail the optional home voting facility.
Meanwhile, some senior citizen voters complained about the different numbers in the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) and on the electoral roll. The unique 10-digit alpha-numeric EPIC number and the number of the electoral roll against the voter’s name was different.
Reacting to this, an election office said that it could be due to change of replacement of EPIC cards and that the voters need not worry. If required the number would be rectified, he said adding that it will not deprive any voter from participating in the democratic process if his/her is enrolled on electoral rolls.