PATNA, May 26 -- In the coming state Assembly polls in Bihar, voters going to the polling station to cast their vote would not be allowed to carry mobile phones and instead would have to deposit the same to volunteers outside the booths, as per a latest decision taken by the Election Commission of India(ECI). The decision has been taken for the convenience of voters, especially senior citizens, physically disabled voters , women voters, who face problems in managing their phone during their visit to the polling station. A ECI press note said a mobile deposit facility just outside each polling station would be set up and no mobile phones by voters would be allowed inside the polling station. Very simple pigeonhole boxes or jute bags shall be provided near the entrance door where voters would be required to deposit their mobile phones, the note said. Evidently, now the new decision has put a big challenge for the state election department as volunteers in thousands would have to be engaged for manning the mobile deposit kiosks outside the booths. "The DMs would be asked to deploy volunteers for manning the mobile deposit counter. The volunteers would be given training in taking the phone sets from voters and returning them after the electors have exercised their franchise," said an officer in the state election department. In Bihar, there are at present 77,000 polling stations and there is likelihood another ten thousand odd booths could be added as the ECI has already capped the number of voters in each booth to 1,200 voters. More importantly, the ECI also has taken a decision under which candidates would not be allowed to canvass within 100 metres from the polling station door on election day. The candidates can also set up counters for giving voter information slip(VIS) to electors having not received such slips beyond 100 metres from the polling station. Meanwhile, the state election department on Saturday concluded the eighth round of training for booth level agents of recognised political parties at Jagjivan Ram Institute of Parliamentary studies and Political Research. The training session imparted knowledge to the BLAs about electoral rolls, process for revision of the rolls , role and responsibilities of ERO during the revision of voters' list and other poll related activities. So far, 1,277 BLAs from recognised parties have under gone training since May 10 while the ninth and last phase of training would be held on May 26. The training programme is being done as per the instruction of chief electoral officer, Vinod Singh Gunjiyal. The state elections are scheduled to be held in October-November this year....