Corporation wards along Rajiv Gandhi Salai that are well-known for the IT industry seem to be facing a shortage of polling personnel for conducting the local body elections.
Even as senior officials at Ripon Buildings have directed zonal level officials to prepare a database of polling personnel, the officials concerned have not been able to find adequate staff members on the rolls of government offices, public sector units or government aided schools in areas such as Perungudi, Taramani, Thiruvanmiyur, Velachery and Pallikaranai.
Few govt. offices
“Most of the offices in the area operate in IT buildings, which get Floor Space Index relaxation by the CMDA. Fewer government offices or public sector units are located in such neighbourhoods. We do not get government staff for polling duty. We cannot appoint IT employees either,” said an official.
The Greater Chennai Corporation is planning to persuade workers in other parts of the city to work in such areas far away from their place of residence, “irrespective of their willingness, for appointment as polling personnel.”
During the Assembly elections in May, government workers from Pallavaram and Tambaram and parts of Kancheepuram district were also asked by the district administration to man polling booths in Chennai Corporation limits.
But such workers are being appointed for polling duty in their own local body limits for this election.
Over 5,000 polling booths
As the district administration has no role in local body elections in the city limits covering 426 sq km, the Greater Chennai Corporation has to appoint its own employees for poll duty and has to identify polling personnel from among its 20,000 employees to man 5,531 polling booths in the 200 wards of the city.
Each booth requires at least four personnel.
Employees in other local bodies such as Pallavaram and Tambaram were used for manning booths in Chennai Corporation limits in the Assembly elections in May. So the Corporation would have to find polling personnel from among its 20,000 employees to man 5,531 polling booths in 200 wards.
The Corporation is likely to persuade workers in other parts of Chennai to work in such areas
