Election staff reach polling booths in Patiala district

Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 13

The district administration has made preparations for tomorrow’s Municipal Council (MC) elections in Samana, Patran, Nabha and Rajpura. Officials said they had deployed 760 staff members and officers on election duties for smooth conduct of voting. They reached their respective polling booths today, officials added.

Meanwhile, the police have also prepared a list of 33 hypersensitive polling stations apart from deputing four SP level officers and eight DSP level officers in all the four municipal areas along 1,800 police personnel.

District electoral officer Kumar Amit accompanied by SSP Vikramjit Duggal said, “Voting for the MC elections will be held in a fair, smooth and independent manner.”

Taking stock of last-day arrangements at Samana and Patran, he said all arrangements for the elections were complete as per the instructions. “Foolproof security arrangements have been made by the Police Department. Adequate security and other arrangements have been made for the sensitive and highly sensitive polling stations as per the guidelines,” he added.

The polling staff has been directed to make adequate arrangements to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. As many as 1,97,812 voters will be able to exercise their voting rights during elections in 92 wards of the four Municipal Councils, of which 1,03,458 are male voters, 94,334 are female voters and 20 belong to third gender.

There are 190 polling booths, of which 33 have been declared \/hypersensitive, including one in Patran, eight in Nabha, 21 in Rajpura and three in Samana. Fifty polling stations have been declared sensitive.

The SP (Investigation), Harmeet Singh Hundal, who is looking after security arrangements in Rajpura, said they had deputed extra police staff at hypersensitive polling booths. “Patrolling parties will also be active in the entire area, which has been divided into respective zones,” he added.