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Digital cameras for all polling booths

Special Correspondent

For monitoring voting on May 3

Pondicherry: Digital cameras would be used in all polling booths in Mahe and Palloor constituencies of Mahe region and in Yanam. Region. These regions go to first phase of poll on May 3.

It was to monitor the polling process and any bogus voting. Trained polling officials would take the photographs of the voters at the time of their entering the booths to exercise their franchise.

District Election Officer of Pondicherry G Theva Needhi Dhas told presspersons here on Monday that while Mahe had 14 polling booths (including three auxiliary polling stations) Pallor had 15 booths including one auxiliary station. He said that the lone segment of Yanam had 21 polling booths including six auxiliary booths. There would be no interference in the secrecy of voting inside the booths. Mr. Dhas said that Central Government officials working in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh had been drafted to function as polling personnel in Mahe and Yanam regions respectively.

Each of the booths having less than 1,200 voters would be manned by one presiding officer and three polling officers and booths having more than this strength would have four polling officers.

Mr Dhas said one more polling officer would be posted at the entrance of the booths to regulate queue arrangements and to verify identification documents. Two companies of Central para military force had been deployed in each of these regions. The local police would be utilised for regulating the queues and enforcement of ban on campaign within the 100 metres. Mr. Dhas said that law and order situation in Mahe and Yanam was peaceful. Senior police officers Mrs. Chayya Sharma (Senior Superintendent of Police) and Vivek Sharma (Commandant of India Reserve Battalion) would supervise deployment of police personnel in Mahe and Yanam regions respectively.

Polling will take place between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m on May 3. With the prevalence of peace the percentage of polling was likely to be higher.

Counting of votes has been scheduled for May 11.

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