Koraput: As many as 2,973 polling booths would be set up for its 7,68,235 voters in Koraput district for the forthcoming three-tier panchayat polls, officials said.
Elections for 3,482 posts of ward member, samiti member, sarpanch and zilla parishad member will be held in five phases from February 13.
Notification for the rural polls will be published on January 6 and nomination papers for various posts could be filed on any working day between January 11 and 17, Koraput district Collector, Jaya Kumar V said.
While ward member and sarpanch aspirants are required to file their nomination papers at the respective panchayats, samiti and zilla parishad aspirants will file nomination papers at respective block offices and sub-collector's office.
According to district panchayat officer (Koraput) Sudesh Patnaik, elections will be held at Lamataput, Jeypore and Dasmantpur blocks on February 13, at Kundura, Semiliguda and Laxmipur blocks on February 15 and at Borigumma, Pottangi and Narayanpatna blocks on February 17.
Polls at Boipariguda, Bandhugaon and Koraput blocks will be held on February 19 while Kotpad and Nandapur blocks will go to polls on February 21.
Also read: Panchayat polls: SEC hikes expenditure limit of candidates
Keeping in mind the Maoist presence in several blocks like Narayanpatna, Bandhugaon, Laxmipur, Lamatapur, Pottangi, Nandapur and Boipariguda, the district administration has strengthened security measures to ensure violence-free polling.
Elections will be conducted in all the 240 panchayats of the district. Security aspect of each and every booth is being examined and necessary steps will be taken for sensitive and hyper-sensitive booths to ensure that election process is not obstructed, the collector said.