In Assam, elaborate arrangements have been made to conduct Assembly polls in a free and fair manner in two phases on 4th and 11th of next month. The Additional Chief Electoral Officer of the State Mr. Mukesh Sahu said overall 1,292 hamlets have been tagged as vulnerable, 4,126 polling stations as hyper-sensitive and 7,160 as sensitive for the two-phased polls in the State. Video cameras are to be installed in around 2,500 voting centres to monitor the entire poll scenario. 3,055 micro observers, apart from General and Expenditure observers, will monitor the overall poll scenario in both the phases. Mr. Sahu told newsmen in Guwahati that two helicopters would also be deployed for emergency services during the polls. He said a total of 446 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed in the State to oversee the security aspects. Mr. Sahu said 4,562 non-bailable arrest warrants have been executed after the announcement of the poll schedule in the State, while 7,272 are still pending. 102 unlicensed arms, 3,282 cartridges, 297 detonators and 13 grenades have been seized. A total of 6,569 licensed arms have been deposited to the administration. 465 cases of poll code violation have so far been registered in the State and most of them are disposed off promptly. The official said over a crore rupees had been seized by the Income Tax Department in the run up to the elections and it was looking into the various aspects of the seizures. Mr. Sahu said the poll staff in 69 voting centres located in far-flung areas in Haflong Assembly segments in North Cachar district will leave for their respective destinations tomorrow. Boats and other means of transports are to be used to ferry poll staff and materials in the remote and riverine locations. SMS-based poll monitoring system has also been introduced to oversee the entire election scenario in the polling stations.
News On AIR | March 31, 2011 12:07 PM
Elaborate arrangements in Assam to conduct Assembly polls