About 3,000 police personnel from Central Armed Police Force, Tamil Nadu Special Police, Home Guards and other agencies would be deployed in 800 locations covering 1,374 polling stations in Ramanathapuram district, said Superintendent of Police G. Chandeesh here on Thursday.
Speaking to media persons, he said that elaborate arrangements are in place for polling which starts at 7 a.m. on Friday (April 19). Public can go to the polling stations and cast their votes without fear as there are sufficient number of police force for protection. CCTV cameras and web cameras have been installed for close monitoring. The vulnerable pockets, which were identified in the past elections, would be manned by CAPF.
Returning Officer B. Vishnu Chandran, who conducted a review meeting in the presence of the General Observer and other senior officials, inspected a couple of polling stations.
Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency has 16,17,688 voters in six Assembly segments. According to a press release, from March 16 to April 18, 72 Flying Squad Teams and 54 Static Surveillance Teams seized ₹79.48 lakh unaccounted cash. The teams had also seized ₹13.33 lakh- worth liquor bottles and banned tobacco goods and 614 cases were booked.
The teams seized 4,900 grams of gold jewellery worth ₹3.43 crore and deposited them with the authorities concerned, and 183 cases were booked for model code of conduct violations.
The Returning Officer and the General Observer inspected arrangements made at the polling stations and oversaw movement of polling materials to the respective stations.
Theni
In Theni, Returning Officer R.V. Shajeevana said that 96.5% of voters were given booth slips at their doorstep. Those who could not get them can cast their votes by producing a valid ID card.
As many as 381 polling booths have been identified as vulnerable and provided adequate security. CCTV cameras have been installed at 1,250 polling stations for monitoring from the Theni Collector’s office where a special election control room is functioning.
There are 8,774 poll officials deployed in 1,788 polling stations, besides 3,222 police personnel including Central Armed Police Force, TN Special Police and Home Guards.
Sivaganga
Returning Officer and District Election Officer Asha Ajith said they have nine model polling stations and six are run by all women officials in Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency. There are 147 vulnerable stations in which additional police force has been deployed.
As many as 1,222 CCTVs have been installed to monitor movement from the Control Room at the Collector’s office.
The constituency has a voter strength of 8,02,283 men, 8,31,511 women and 63 others. Twenty candidates are in the fray.
