Officials take no chance on arrangements for poll day

Officials take no chance on arrangements for poll day

340 Central government staff nominated as micro observers
95 per cent of voters have been given booth slips issued by the Election Commission

Voters on queue at polling stations at 5 p.m to be issued tokens for exercising their franchise

Tight security: Electronic Voting Machines for the Tiruchi East constituency being dispatched from the Tiruchi Corporation office with police security on Tuesday TIRUCHI: All arrangements are in place for the Wednesday's Assembly election in Tiruchi district. Electronic voting machines and other poll material and manpower were moved to the respective polling stations in the district on Tuesday.

“Everything is set for the election. We are on full alert,” Collector Mahesan Kasirajan told reporters on Tuesday. A total of 17,78,947 voters, including 8,91,742 women 8,87,139 men and 66 transgenders are eligible to vote in the district as on April 1.

Of the 2,124 polling stations in the district, the polling process would be recorded through web cameras in 770 critical booths. Among these, the polling process would be webcast from 290 booths. About 340 micro observers, all Central government officers, have been nominated to monitor the polling in critical booths.

All flying squads and mobile teams would be maintaining a vigil during the elections. Eleven companies of central forces, four for the city limits and seven for rural police limits, would be deployed for beefing up security.

Polling will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Persons on queue at polling stations at 5 in the evening would be issued tokens to exercise their franchise.

Mr.Kasirajaran said that 95 per cent of the voters in the district have been given the voters slips issued by the Election Commission. Those who have not received the voters slips, can get them from designated officers in front of each polling station. Voters should produce their electors photo identity cards (EPIC) and the voter's slips for exercising their franchise. Voters, whose photos are not available in the electoral rolls, can produce any one of the 13 documents specified by the Election Commission as proof of identity.

A short-messaging-service based communication system has been put in place for poll officials to periodically report on the polling process.

About Rs.5.46 crore in cash and Rs.24,700 worth of items have been seized in the district. As many as 271 election related cases have been booked. These include 209 cases on defacement of properties, two cases of misuse of vehicles, one case of unauthorised meeting, 31 cases of distribution of cash/kind and 28 miscellaneous cases.

Answering a question, Mr.Kasirajan said the police would file charge-sheets in all the cases. Charge-sheets have been filed in many cases and convictions obtained in 31 cases. Charge-sheet was yet to be filed with respect to the seizure of Rs.5.11 crore from a bus in the Tiruchi West constituency. Investigations in the case are yet to be completed.

On the frequent power cuts during late evening and nights, Mr.Kasirajan said a report has been sent to the Election Commission based on the explanation provided by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation. TANGEDCO Superintending Engineer K.Venkataraman, who was also present, attributed the load shedding to the increase in power demand across the State. Half-an-hour load shedding was being resorted to in the evenings in various cities and towns across the State, he affirmed. The TANGEDCO was taking all necessary steps to provide uninterrupted power supply during the polling on Wednesday.

Source: The Hindu