Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, May 13: Election officer of Dakshina Kannada district had promised that all the personnel involved in the duty of election will be given postal voter slips, so that they can cast their vote. However, most of the private taxi drivers have been deprived of their voting rights as they did not get the postal voter slips.

Many taxi drivers are working with the election officers for a month. The representatives of the taxi owners and drivers association had requested the concerned officials to give them the postal voter slips so that they can also exercise their right of voting. The officials had collected the details of the private taxi drivers, who were on election-related duty. However, many of the drivers did not get the postal voter slips.

The taxi drivers, who are deprived of their voting rights, said that "It is not a difficult task for the concerned officials to get the postal voter slips for the private taxi drivers, who are with them for more than a month. There was ample time. We are indirectly stripped of our voting rights."

Anand K, organizing secretary of Dakshina Kannada taxi and Maxi cab association said, "We have appealed quite a few times with the election duty officers to provide postal voter slips for private taxi drivers who are working with them. However, they did not oblige. They told us that they have sent the postal voter slips to the home of the drivers. However, most of the drivers have not received it,"