Mahasamund: Election Commission had notified 10 services as “Essential Services” for the state of Chhattisgarh under the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. These include the health department, electricity department, railway transport, post and telegram department, BSNL, All India Radio, Doordarshan, Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Milk Union Limited and Food Corporation of India, along with media persons who have obtained authorization letters.

Taking advantage, for the first time three journalists from the district have used their franchise through postal ballot. Senior journalists of Mahasamund district, Sanjay Dafle, Jitendra Satpathy and Jaidev Singh voted on April 15 and 16 in the facility centre established for mandatory service under postal ballot. 

Sanjay Dafle, appreciating the initiative said on the great festival of democracy, journalists are busy running from morning to evening for coverage in the polling stations. They get little time to cast their vote. The Election Commission of India for the first time has included the journalists in the mandatory service and has provided them the facility of voting through postal ballot.

Jaidev Singh said a journalist works as a bridge between the general public, the executive and the legislature, and in the meantime many times they are deprived of their rights. With this arrangement fellow journalists will no longer be deprived of their rights. “I have spinal problems and it is very difficult for me to stand for a long time, with this facility, it is easy for me to vote.”

“India is the only democratic country in the entire world, and such a system can be imagined. Perhaps if such a system had not been in place, I would not have been able to exercise my franchise on the day of voting. My gratitude to the Election Commission of India,” he added.
Jitendra Satpathy said it was always painful to be deprived of the right to vote in this great festival of democracy. Now with ease reporting and coverage work easily on the day of voting.

Mahasamund will go for a poll in the second phase.