Vikash Sharma

Bhubaneswar: All the preparations for the bypolls in Balasore Sadar and Tirtol Assembly constituencies have reached final stages and the voting will be conducted from 7 am to 6 pm tomorrow, informed Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Sushil Lohani on Monday.

A thick blanket of security cover will be in place for the smooth conduct of the bypolls in the two constituencies for which six companies of central force and 251 officers have been deployed.
While addressing a presser, Lohani informed that 86 booths in Balasore and 155 in Tirtol have been identified as ‘sensitive’.

“Elaborate arrangements for smooth conduct of the bypolls have been made and all the voters will be allowed inside booths only after undergoing thermal screening in strict compliance with COVID-19 norms. Only healthy polling officers will be deployed for conducting voting and others arrangements,” said Lohani.

Lohani further informed that for strict compliance of social distancing norms, the maximum voters per booth which was earlier 1500 has been reduced to 1000. Moreover, the number of booths have been increased both in Tirtol and Balasore constituencies so that there is no crowding at booths and all necessary COVID-19 protocols can be followed. Tokens will be issued to voters for maintaining social distancing norms and check crowding at booths, he added.

“The number of booths which was earlier 265 in Tirtol has been increased to 373 and the number of booths have been increased to 346 from 198 in Balasore,” Lohani added.

(Edited By Ramakant Biswas)

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