Polling booths in Delhi to be no-smoking zones

All polling booths for the Feb 7 assembly election in the national capital would be no-smoking zones, it was announced Thursday.

Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer has issued instructions to all district electoral officers-cum-district magistrates to ensure prohibition of smoking at polling booths.

The district electoral officers have also been asked to display signs outside polling booths informing voters about the no-smoking rule.

The order issued to the district election officers of all the nine districts of the NCT of Delhi, said: "As per provisions contained in handbook for presiding officers 2014 issued by the Election Commission, smoking inside polling station is prohibited.

"Further presiding officer is to ensure that nobody, including polling personnel and the polling agents, smoke inside the polling station."

Bhavna Mukhopadhyay, executive director of Voluntary Health Association of India, said: "We have met all key officials in the Chief Electoral Officer's office to ensure that polling stations in Delhi be made smoke-free and requested to issue a necessary instruction or direction to all the concerned officials to put a complete ban on smoking inside all polling booths."