Thane, Jan 6 (PTI) Nearly 20 per cent of the staff deputed for the January 15 elections to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) have skipped the mandatory training sessions, prompting the civic administration to issue legal notices to the absentees, officials said on Tuesday.
Out of around 4,000 employees scheduled to undergo election-related training so far, as many as 782 (19.55 per cent) have failed to attend the sessions, a civic corporation spokesperson said.
The NMMC elections will be conducted at 1,148 polling stations. In line with State Election Commission guidelines, employees from government, semi-government offices and schools in Navi Mumbai and adjoining Raigad district have been appointed for poll duty.
Municipal commissioner and Election Officer Kailas Shinde has issued a stern warning to the absentee staff, terming election duty a “national responsibility”, according to an official NMMC release issued on Tuesday night.
The release stated that legal notices have been served on the 782 absent employees, directing them to immediately report to the office of the Returning Officer of their respective departments.
“If the employees concerned fail to comply with the notice and continue to remain absent from the training, criminal cases will be registered against them,” it warned.
Training for employees appointed for election duty in view of the NMMC polls commenced from January 1 and is being conducted department-wise under the supervision of Shinde.
On Tuesday, training sessions were held at multiple locations across Navi Mumbai.
At Vishnudas Bhave Natyagruh in Vashi, employees from wards 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the Koparkhairane division were trained in the morning, while polling station presidents and polling officers (1, 2 and 3) from wards 14, 15, 19 and 20 of the Turbhe division attended the afternoon session.
As this year’s civic elections are being held under a multi-member ward system, trainees were shown a special video explaining that each voter will cast four votes.
Hands-on practical training on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) was also conducted. Officials said detailed guidance was provided on all aspects of election-related work, and queries raised by trainees were addressed during the sessions.
So far, training has been completed in four divisions — Nerul, Belapur, Digha and Ghansoli.
The administration noted that after receiving the legal notices, a large number of employees have started reporting for training.
Notices are also being issued to employees who failed to attend the training sessions held on January 6 in Airoli, Koparkhairane and Turbhe divisions, the release said. PTI COR RSY
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