Adequate safeguards for U.T. poll officials sought

Staff express their concerns to CEO

The Puducherry Unified Ministerial Staff Association has called for adequate safeguards for election officials in the wake of several polling personnel testing positive for COVID-19 and some in a critical condition battling for life. In a memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer, the association said it was pained to learn that officials deployed in various offices of the Returning Officer had been affected by COVID-19 and some had died. It noted that S. Adimoulame, Joint Director, Economics and Statistics, deputed as Assistant Returning Officer in RO-VIII, had died on April 25. Apart from this, many officials who got COVID-19 were in a critical condition — one such official was Ananda Balane, assistant, Chief Secretariat, Puducherry, deputed to RO-VIII for election duty. The official’s condition was very critical, the association said. He has been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Chennai since April 11.