Darjeeling, April 1: The state home department has asked the Darjeeling district authorities to prepare a list of “able-bodied” former soldiers who can be deployed for the Lok Sabha elections.

District magistrate Surendra Gupta said: “The government has asked me to draw up a list of able-bodied ex-servi- cemen. Whether their servi-ces will be used or not is not confirmed yet, but they will be called if there is a shortage of (poll) personnel.”

According to the district authorities, there are 10,486 ex-servicemen in Darjeeling.

The administration is likely to write to the poll panel requesting it to resume issuing electoral photo identity cards. “With government offices remaining shut (for over two months because of the Gorkhaland agitation), the distribution of voter’s identity cards has been affected. About 48,000 voters in Darjeeling do not have the cards,” Gupta said.

So far, there is no directive from the commission on whether other documents can be used as proof of identity in the polling booths. “Instructions on the validity of other documents are generally sent to us by this time,”said Gupta. Darjeeling votes on April 30.