IMH inmates to get voter cards

The process is being done for the first time for those who recovering from mental disabilities and are yet to be reunited with their families. Talking to DT Next, P Poorna Chandrika, Director (FAC), IMH, said they underwent screening and scrutiny for their decision and willingness to vote.

“While a few are voting for the first time, some others have either lost their Voter IDs or have been abandoned and do not have their IDs. It is a coordinated process between the IMH, Corporation and the DRA,” she said. 

The unit chiefs, PG students involved in the screening, DRA volunteers, and Corporation officials including R Lalitha, Joint Commissioner, Chennai Corporation, Deputy Tahsildar and corporation staff were involved in the drive.

The inmates, 67 women and 62 men, from the State and elsewhere have recovered from schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder, and age between 20- 70 years. “We have a person from West Bengal who has expressed his strong willingness to vote and even shared his political leanings,” Poorna Chandrika said.

She added that attempts were on to arrange an auxiliary polling booth inside the campus. Vaishnavi Jayakumar of DRA said that the initiative had been carried out during the 2016 State elections, when inmates of The Banyan had voted. “We will also follow it up after the candidacy is announced, apart from an EVM Demo.”