By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, April.1: The ‘call centre’ set up by the Election Commission for the local polls slated for May 13 has received 571 calls within two days after it came into operation.
The call centre was formally brought into operation from Tuesday to address the queries and complaints of the citizens, voters and stakeholders in connection with the election.
The commission has brought a four-digit toll-free number into operation. Nine people have been deployed in the call centre.

Speaking at the regular press meet on Thursday, EC’s spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel said that 310 calls were received on the first day and 261 on the second day.
According to spokesperson Poudel, the voters’ queries have been resolved at the centre.

There were a lot of queries from the general voters, especially on the issues of voter’s name list, election code of conduct and voter’s education, he added. Likewise, Poudel informed that the process of printing ballot papers for the election has started.
The EC had said the Janak Education Material Center (JEMC) started printing model ballot paper on Thursday. According to him, the Election Commissioners visited the JEMC on Thursday and inspected the printing of ballot paper.

“Inspections are being carried out, including the inspection of machine, paper and election symbols,” Poudel said. The EC has decided to print 20 million ballot papers for the upcoming poll. According to the EC, there will be 1, 77, 33,723 voters for this election and more than 10 per cent ballot paper of the total voters will be printed.

The commission has decided to use green electoral symbols on a white sheet of paper, citing that it will make it easier for both voters to cast votes and help while counting the ballots.
The commission is also preparing to transport ballot papers by helicopter in some districts, said Poudel, adding the commission had been working with the Department of Road to understand the condition of transportation.

The commission is preparing to print ballot papers for those places that are difficult to reach, Poudel added.
He said that the commission has made preparations to print ballot papers for the Kathmandu Valley and some municipalities only after Baisakh 17, which are easily accessible.
Similarly, Poudel said in Kathmandu alone, 46 political parties were contesting in local elections and there may be some independent candidates.

The commission further informed that the CCTV would be connected at the polling station for the local polls.
Poudel said that the commission had written to all the local levels to set up CCTV in polling stations and they were positive.

Likewise, the EC on Wednesday issued local level election guidelines-2022 to manage the legal and procedural arrangement related to the polls.
Furthermore, the EC has issued 17-point directives to the political parties, asking to increase the participation of women and people of the inclusive groups.