The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : All preparations in place

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Friday, May 09, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

All preparations in place

Staff Reporter

19.57 lakh voters to exercise franchise in Bangalore Urban

Bangalore: All preparations have been made to help the 19.57 lakh voters in the district to exercise their franchise on Saturday, M.A. Sadiq, Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer, Bangalore Urban, told presspersons here on Thursday.

The 1,786 polling stations will be manned by 2,826 police personnel. “The 664 hypersensitive polling stations will be manned by 1,201 police personnel, 625 sensitive stations by 1,179 personnel and 497 normal stations by 497 police personnel. We have also formed 2,152 polling parties, and appointed 2,152 presiding officers (including reserve). As many as 9,467 polling personnel will be on duty,” he said.

The Election Commission has provided 32 Central Police Force companies, of which nine have been deployed in Bangalore. The 103 Central Police Force static teams and 67 Central Police Forice mobile squads will provide security to 1,502 polling stations along with the Karnataka State Police Force. The remaining 284 polling stations will be covered by the Karnataka State Reserve Police.

Mr. Sadiq said that mobile squads would cover one polling station every 15 minutes. He said that for the first tine, 425 micro observers drawn from various Union Government departments had been appointed for the 446 polling stations. As many as 150 sectoral magistrates had been appointed to take on-the-spot decision with respect to any law and order problems. He said that all polling booths had been provided with drinking water facility, shelters and ramps.

He said the ban on sale of liquor was introduced at 5 p.m. on Thursday. Section 144 would be in place till midnight on Saturday. The counting of votes was scheduled on May 25. The Election Commission had deputed nine election observers for the constituencies coming under the Bangalore Urban district.

Control rooms

Control rooms would be set up in the offices of all the returning officers. He said that helplines had been set up. To register complaints, people could contact the Chief Executive Officer, Bangalore Urban, on Ph: 155212, or the Deputy Commissioner on Ph: 22131414, 22131515, 22131919, 22131818.

58,000 personnel

Nearly 58,000 security personnel, including Central paramilitary forces and the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP), will be deployed at 18,562 polling stations in the first phase of Assembly elections in the State on Saturday.

Director-General and Inspector-General of Police R. Srikumar told presspersons here on Thursday that 25,000 policemen, 15,000 home guards, 15,000 paramilitary forces and 3,000 KSRP personnel would be involved in security duty.

Apart from posting personnel to hypersensitive, sensitive and normal polling stations, there will be mobile squads.

Mr. Srikumar said there were 6,252 hyper sensitive and 3,500 sensitive polling stations. Every hyper sensitive and sensitive polling station would be given two uniformed personnel. A mobile squad would comprise five police personnel and a home guard and each squad would cover 20 polling stations. Paramilitary forces would be posted in sensitive places in every constituency.

Helpline

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike electoral district authorities have set up helpline for the benefit of voters in the 14 Assembly constituencies of the Central and Southern zones of the city.

The voters can give their suggestions and lodge complaints using the following helpline numbers. The helpline centres will function between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Voters of Rajarajeshwarinagar, Shivajinagar, Shanthinagar, Gandhinagar, Rajajinagar, Chamarajpet, Chickpet Assembly constituencies can contact the helpline numbers Ph: 22131335 or 22975568.

Similarly, voters of Govindarajnagar, Vijayanagar, Basavanagudi, Padmanabha- nagar, BTM Layout, Jayanagar and Bommanahalli constituencies can contact Ph:26577388 or 26577622.

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