Pokhara, 17 February | The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Dhankuta has completed the final arrangements for the mobilization of human resources for the upcoming House of Representatives election scheduled for 5 March (Falgun 21). To ensure a systematic and transparent voting process, a total of 1,008 personnel will be deployed across the district’s 166 permanent polling centers and two temporary polling stations. According to Suraj Shrestha, the Information Officer at the District Election Office, each permanent polling center will be staffed by a team of six members, while the temporary stations will operate with three personnel each. This meticulous allocation of staff is designed to manage the flow of voters effectively and maintain the integrity of the electoral process throughout the polling day.
Specifically, each standard polling center will be managed by one Polling Officer, one Assistant Polling Officer, three assistant staff members, and one office helper. In total, the district will see the deployment of 166 Polling Officers, 166 Assistant Polling Officers, 498 assistant staff, and 166 office helpers for the permanent centers. For the two temporary polling stations, the mobilization includes two Polling Officers, two Assistant Polling Officers, and two helpers. To further assist with crowd management and voter guidance, Polling Officers are authorized to appoint volunteers based on voter density: centers with fewer than 500 voters will have two volunteers, while those with more than 500 voters will be assigned three. Notably, temporary polling stations will not have additional volunteers.
Assistant Election Officer Indra Kumar Yonghang emphasized that the selection and deployment of staff have been conducted with strict adherence to the principles of proportionality and transparency. To prepare the workforce for the logistical and legal complexities of the election, a comprehensive training session is scheduled to take place between 25 and 27 February (Falgun 13 to 15). A significant highlight of this election’s management is the inclusion and strategic deployment of female personnel, including at least one polling center that will be managed entirely by an all-female staff. Furthermore, Chief District Officer Binod Kumar Khadka confirmed that local employees will be assigned to polling centers different from their home areas to ensure impartiality. Personnel stationed in geographically remote or distant locations will also be provided with additional facilities and services in recognition of their service.
