Coimbatore: With the arrival of polling materials including Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and indelible inks, the district administration is ready for the conduct of polls on May 8, the District Collector and Election Officer, S. Kosalaraman, said here on Thursday.

He was talking to reporters after inaugurating a training programme for polling personnel. In the first phase, personnel involved in the conduct of polls in Coimbatore East Assembly segment have been trained. The training for personnel in respect of the remaining 14 Assembly constituencies had begun at Perks and Mani Higher Secondary School in the city on Thursday, he said. Training is being imparted to the presiding officers and polling officers by 263 zonal master trainers. The district has 34,64,129 voters including 17,30,492 women. As many as 3,638 polling booths have been identified in the district of which 1,538 have been provided with ramps for the benefit of the physically disabled persons.

Though the district required only 3,638 EVMs, with a two per cent reserve as standby for replacing the faulty machines, 4,500 machines have been kept ready. Eight engineers from Bangalore have arrived for providing technical assistance. Two engineers will be available for two Assembly constituencies.

As many as 7,500 bottles of indelible ink have been procured. These polling materials would be despatched to polling stations from May 7 (Sunday) onwards. Though the number of polling personnel required for the conduct of polls was only 15,000, the administration has mobilised 16,524 personnel with ten per cent as reserve.

Another training for polling personnel will take place on on April 30 and May 4. They would be provided with identity cards.

Poll officials and the police have been directed to keep a watch on the vehicles carrying party flags being used for campaigning without obtaining permission letter from election authorities.

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