The Uttarakhand State Printing Press has declined to print ballot papers for the three-tier panchayat elections due to a severe employee shortage. The press in Roorkee, which has 300 sanctioned technical positions, currently operates with only 11 employees. In response, the State Election Commission has decided to outsource ballot printing to private presses, as was done during the municipal elections.
According to Pramod Kumar Singh, Additional Director of the State Printing Press, apart from the technical workforce, 16 out of 56 peon-clerk positions also remain vacant. This manpower shortage makes printing lakhs of ballot papers unfeasible. The press is undergoing restructuring, which will reduce the approved posts to 216.
The government press primarily handles notifications, annual reports, exam papers, and other official publications. However, the staff shortage has significantly hampered its operations, raising concerns about its efficiency and future capabilities.
