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Wednesday, May 13, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Web cameras to help monitor polls

Madurai Bureau

Nagercoil: Web cameras fitted with laptops will be provided to micro observers for effective monitoring of poll proceedings, Collector Rajendra Kumar has said.

These cameras will be available in about 70 polling stations in the constituency. The micro observers can monitor the progress of voting and other activities taking place inside polling stations online.

Speaking to the presspersons here on Tuesday, he said the district administration had identified 143 booths as ‘sensitive’ and 44, ‘highly sensitive.’

All activities happening in these booths would be videographed. For this purpose around 350 videographers had been appointed.

The district administration has also arranged free boat services for the benefit of voters in Pechiparai to cast their votes in the booth set up near Kothayar.

All the voters have been issued identity cards and those who lost their cards could make use of the 13 other documents, listed by the Election Commission to exercise their franchise.

Two units of para-military forces and a unit of the Kerala Police have been deployed in the sensitive areas.

The police have registered around 120 cases against the representatives of various political parties for the violation of the model code of conduct. There was no complaint about distribution of money to voters so far.

Public contact phone number 04652 - 223477 if they want to convey any message to the district administration regarding elections, Mr.Rajendra Kumar said.

Materials dispatched

Amid tight police security, polling materials, including electronic voting machines, were taken to all 2,330 booths in Tirunelveli and Tenkasi (Reserved) Parliamentary constituencies from the respective taluk headquarters on Tuesday.

Around 4,350 police personnel, including 1,000 law enforcers in Tirunelveli city, have been involved in the bandobust across the district. Since 558 booths have been categorised as ‘sensitive’ and ‘hypersensitive,’ additional police personnel along with Central paramilitary forces will be deployed in these booths.

Polling in the sensitive booths will be videographed and for the first time, 273 micro observers have been are being posted in these places.

While 195 police patrol vehicles will cover rural areas of the district, 29 mobile parties will go around Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai areas.

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