For smooth and safe conduct of GHMC elections, authorities have for the first time decided to increase security personnel by 60 per cent, compared to the last assembly elections. Nearly 20,000 police personnel will be deployed in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy and parts of Medak for peaceful conduct of GHMC elections.
After thorough screening of candidates, the number sensitive and critical polling stations, which were earlier estimated at 1,533 have now swelled to 1, 646 polling stations. “Special police and 456 micro-observers will be deployed at all these sensitive polling stations,” GHMC Commissioner S. P. Singh said.
The 11 zones will have a total of 1, 370 mobile security parties, 65 special striking force, 585 regular striking force, 455 shadow teams, 58 check posts and 75 pickets. “This is for the first time that security has been increased to 60 per cent, compared to the general elections of April,” Mr. Singh said in a press conference on Friday.
The GHMC Commissioner informed that all the EVM machines will have an in-built Braille strip facility to help visually challenged voters to cast their votes without any hiccup. “The counting of votes will be finished 12.30 p.m. and 1 p.m.,” Mr. Singh said.
GHMC Special Commissioner M. T. Krishna Babu said that 15 e-Seva centres in parts of Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district will continue to provide EPIC cards to voters. “Public can visit these e-Seva centres and get their epic cards before November 23,” Mr. Krishna Babu said.
The areas in which the e-Seva centres will issue epic cards include Musheerabad, Malakpet, New Nallakunta, Khairatabad, Mothinagar, Sanathnagar, Vijayanagar Colony, Rethibowli, Sultan Bazaar, Darulshifa, Santoshnagar, Karmanghat, Bahadurpura, Sitaphalmandi, Marredpally, Neredmet, Qutubullapur, Kukatpally, Habsiguda, Vanasthalipuram, Saroornagar, Rajendranagar and Chandanagar.
