Karnataka

Extra security in naxal-hit areas in Udupi district

Udupi: Deputy Commissioner P. Hemalatha said on Thursday that all arrangements had been made for polling in the five Assembly constituencies in Udupi district scheduled for Friday.

She told presspersons here that there were 832 polling booths in the district.

All the polling personnel had been given three rounds of training and instructions to ensure smooth conduct of the polls. Engineers from Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) were in Udupi to check if there was any fault in the electronic voting machines. Sectoral magistrates would be moving around the constituency on the polling day.

“There is little or no chance of failure of EVMs. In case any EVM has failed, the sectoral magistrate would immediately provide a spare EVM. Wireless sets had been provided to the vehicles of sectoral magistrates,” Ms. Hemalatha said.

Ms. Hemalatha said that the names of the voters had been written in alphabetical order in the voters lists so that their names could be easily traced when they come to the polling booths.

The voters should have either the electors’ photo identity cards or any of the 20 documents identified by the Election Commission to cast their votes.

“If the name of any person is not found in the voters’ list, such a person cannot vote in spite of having the EPIC or other documents,” she said.

As regards security arrangements in addition to the district police, 17 companies of central paramilitary force had been deployed in sensitive locations, including the naxalite-affected areas. Flag marches had been conducted in sensitive areas.

The Anti-Naxalite Force was also patrolling the naxalite-affected areas round the clock, Ms. Hematha said.

Earlier Ms. Hemalatha inspected the arrangements made for transfer of EVMs at the T.A. Pai English Medium School here.

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