Malkangiri/Jeypore/Bhawanipatna: Preparations of polling personnel reached final stages at the four Lok Sabha and 28 Assembly constituencies of Odisha going to polls in the first phase tomorrow.
Following the death of BJP MLA and three PSOs in Maoist attack in Dantewada of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, security has been tightened across the State, particularly in the Maoist-prone areas. Apart from deployment of security personnel, CCTV cameras have been installed at the sensitive polling booths.
For the first time, female polling officials will be engaged in the election duty. Keeping this in mind, the local administrations have made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of polls.
In Malkangiri, polling officials along with security personnel were taken in an IAF chopper to Maoist-affected and ‘Swabhiman’ areas of Chitrakonda. A few polling officials were taken to the polling centre in Kuntarpadar camp in Chitrakonda Assembly constituency.
Due to security reasons, 128 out of 540 polling booths have been declared as sensitive booths in the Malkangiri district.
In Koraput parliamentary constituency, polling parties have already reached different booths for the first phase polls which will begin at 7 am tomorrow.
“There is waiting space for female and male voters. Besides, wheel chairs for physically disabled have been kept and help desk has been set up at the polling booths. Drinking water facility will also be provided here,” said the first polling officer at a polling booth under Buratal panchayat in Ganjam district.
Similarly in Kalahandi, the district administration has made elaborate arrangements for hassle-free and fair conduct of polls.