Karnataka

Security tightened in Chitradurga

Chitradurga: As many as 405 sensitive and 481 hypersensitive booths have been identified in the district which is scheduled to go to polls on May 16.

According to the Deputy Commissioner’s election office here, 1,321 polling stations have been set up in the district that has an electorate comprising 11,57,144 people.

As much as 76 per cent of the voters have been issued Elector’s Photo Identity Cards (EPICs). Nearly 651 polling booths have been identified as critical.

Booths where only less than 50 per cent of the voters has EPICs, where the population of Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes is high and those with a history of poll-related violence have been identified as crticial.

As many as 18 companies of paramilitary forces, six companies of Karnataka State Reserve Police and 10 battalions of District Armed Reserve Police will be deployed.

Superintendent of Police Labhu Ram said that the department would deploy 40 sub-inspectors, 40 probationary sub-inspectors, 150 head constables and 700 constables, besides 1,200 home guards for poll duty.

The district has six constituencies, and nearly 6,015 officials have been deployed for poll duty.

As many as 305 micro-observers have been appointed at the critical booths.

As many as 1,321 Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) will be used for the elections.

Deputy Commissioner Amlan Aditya Biswas said that the Army had held a flag march in the city and in the sensitive areas of the district.

Mr. Biswas said that about 22 cases had been registered in the district for poll code violation, and two for electoral offences.

Over Rs. 30 lakh-worth liquor has been seized, and 11 vehicles confiscated. in the district

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