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Over 4,000 National Service scheme (NSS) volunteers from various higher secondary schools rendered praiseworthy services for differently abled and elderly voters during the Lok Sabha elections in Kozhikode on April 26 (Friday). Wheelchair-bound voters and those with extreme difficulties in walking were the majority who got assistance from student volunteers.
“It was a gratifying experience as we could extend our support to around 15 wheelchair-bound voters in just two hours after starting the poll proceedings. We had been trained well to greet such voters with care,” said Sana Mohammed, a volunteer who was busy with her duty at Madrassathul Muhammadiya Higher Secondary School, Parappil, in the morning. She said all team members were present at the school on time ensuring sufficient number of wheelchairs to help voters.
NSS coordinators said they had trained 4,460 student volunteers for the special election service. They were deployed at 2,230 booths. The volunteers were also part of the ‘Green Election Clean Election campaign’ of the Haritha Karma Sena in the district, the coordinators added.
The services of NSS volunteers were proposed for the Lok Sabha elections considering their outstanding performance during the Assembly elections. The Department of Social Justice took up the ground-level coordination of the volunteer force. There were also volunteers who helped the police manage long queues at several booths.
