Mumbai: EC denies exemption from closure to 63 pvt. establishments on polling day

By Gaurav Arora
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Oct 19 (ANI): Election Commission has denied permission to as many as 63 private establishments who sought exemption from observing "compulsory paid holiday" on October 21, the day of polling. However, only 2 out of 65, who applied have been granted exemption from closure as they fulfilled the emergency services criteria as laid down by EC.
According to the order of EC, all private establishment in Mumbai must remain shut and all its employees should be given paid holiday on October 21 to ensure that all people can vote on polling day. However, it says that some establishment may be exempted and be allowed to remain open if they are for emergency services subject to proper permission from district collector or district election returning officer.
This order has also clearly mentioned that even if the establishment is allowed to remain open on polling day it has to ensure that all its employee get at-least two to three hours time so that they can perform their voting rights.
Sixty-five establishments had applied for exemption but the election commission has refused exemption to 63 as they failed to fulfil the criteria under "emergency services category" as described by EC. Only two establishments were exempted from the complete shutdown and these both are related to medical services.
Confirming the development Mumbai city collector Shivaji Jondhley said:" EC is determined to ensure that everyone gets a chance to vote in the coming election and for that, it was necessary to allow everyone a paid holiday on the day of polling."
"Simultaneously, we tried to ensure that emergency services in the private sector are not affected much. So we have considered all the application for exemptions as emergency services and have decided to allow the exemption to two establishments," he said (ANI)