The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has directed that a favourable decision should be taken by District Electoral Officers on complaints from couples on election duty seeking exemption for one of them from duty to ensure the safety and security of their children.
Acting on a petition from a student, commission member K. Nazeer directed the Chief Electoral Officer to issue an order directing district election officials to follow the direction.
The student had said in the complaint that both her parents were deployed on election duty for the Assembly polls, and their absence in the days just before her SSLC examinations got under way on April 8 would lead to mental stress. Her parents had an interfaith marriage. An application seeking exemption for her mother from election duty had been submitted to the Kollam District Collector, but exemption had not been received, the student said.
The commission had sought reports from the Chief Electoral Officer and the Kollam District Electoral Officer, but had not received any from them.
The commission was informed that owing to the parents’ interfaith marriage, support from their family was inadequate.
Exemption for one
Taking a serious view of the student’s apprehension, the commission said when couples were deployed on election duty, their children’s safety should be ensured. If in such cases, an application to exempt one of the parents from election duty were to be received, the District Electoral Officers should exempt one.
The Kollam District Electoral Officer has been directed to consider the application from the petitioner’s mother seeking exemption from poll duty and allow it, the commission said.
