Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Election Commission has come out with a detailed list of the type of personnel who would be assigned polling duty for next month's elections for local self-government bodies. 

Eligible category

Employees of government, quasi-government organisations, public sector undertakings, aided institutions, urban bank, district cooperative bank, Gramin bank, state government institutions, educational institutions, universities, PSC, aided colleges and schools, as well as state corporations and boards can be deployed for the poll duty.

Exempted category

However, any eligible employee can be exempted from duty if they are afflicted with diseases such as cancer, kidney and heart ailments, communicable diseases other than COVID-19; women who are over seven months pregnant; women who have children below the age of two; elected members and former elected members at local bodies; differently-abled people, parents of differently-abled children; priests and nuns; and those who are retiring this financial year.

Those suffering from illnesses should submit medical certificates that were issued in the last month. In case both the husband and wife are deployed for duty, one of them would be exempted if the documents are submitted.

The election watchdog instructed the district collectors that the employees of primary co-operative societies need not be included while assigning polling officials for the upcoming local body elections. However, details of the employees of the Kerala Bank and Kerala Gramin Bank can be collected for electoral duties.

The procedure 

The procedures for deploying election officials would be carried out via the website, edrop.kerala.gov.in, developed by the National Informatics Centre. The chief of each institution should give details of the current employees.

Details of officials, who are on deputation, should be given by their current workplace. The local body secretaries should send this to the Collectors. The district collectors will complete the procedures by November 26.

Even COVID positive on initial duty list

The State Election Commission has instructed that those who have tested positive for COVID-19 or are in quarantine should also be included in the initial list of officials for election duty on the e-drop website. 

If they continue to be positive even after they have been issued the appointment orders, they can submit medical certificates to the district collectors and they would be exempted, the Commission said.