Date:15/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/15/stories/2008051554370600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

2,635 areas identified sensitive

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: After another review of law and order issues here on Wednesday in the context of the byelections, the State election authorities identified 2,635 polling station areas as hyper sensitive/ sensitive/troublesome in the 10 districts where these elections are being held.

Chief Electoral Officer I. V. Subba Rao told reporters later that “micro-observers” would be appointed for all these areas who would camp at the polling stations from 6.30 a.m. till late night on the polling day (May 29), observe goings-on, and submit reports to the commission for taking action.

He said these observers would be picked up from among the gazetted officers of the State government or officers of the Central service. The 48 general/expenditure observers of the Election Commission, named for the Parliamentary /Assembly constituencies, however, had taken over the positions.

Mr. Rao said as against a total of 8,891 polling stations being set up for the byelections, the areas relating to 807 of them were identified as “hyper sensitive”, 1,357 sensitive and 471 “troublesome”.

A note circulated by him showed that most of the “troublesome” polling station areas are in Warangal district. He said they turned troublesome because of naxalite problem.

No polling station area had been identified troublesome in Karimnagar district.