Polling booths to get basic facilities

Observer asks officials to check amenities available before elections on Oct. 6, 9

Zonal election officials have been asked to ensure basic facilities at the 1,328 polling booths in Tenkasi district ahead of the rural local body elections to be held on October 6 and 9.

Addressing a meeting of the 69 zonal officials for the regions that would go for polls in the first phase, Collector S. Gopala Sundara Raj stressed that they should get all doubts about the election procedures cleared so that they could in turn help polling officials.

Polling in the panchayat unions of Kadayam, Keezhappavoor, Melaneelithanallur, Alangulam and Vasudevanallur would be held on October 6, and other unions of Tenkasi, Sengottai, Sankarankoil, Kadayanallur and Kuruvikulam would go to polls on October 9.

Poll Observer P. Sankar said the role of zonal officials was significant as they would be the bridge between the District Election Control room and the polling officials in the booths.

They had been asked to inspect all the polling booths allocated to them in advance and check whether electricity, seating facilities, restrooms, drinking water, ramps and wheeler chairs for differently abled were available.

They should also ensure proper law and order situation for free and fair polling.

Besides making the presiding officers to fill up all information in various forms, the zonal officials should ensure handing over of the ballot boxes at the counting centres.

The officials should prevent candidates from campaigning within 100 metres from the polling booths on the polling day.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu State Election Commission has made one dose of COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for the agents of candidates to take up polling and counting works.

Based on the SEC instruction, the Collector told the agents of candidates to get at least one dose of vaccination.

The agents would identify voters at the polling booths on the polling day and would follow counting of votes on the day of counting.

Polling for rural local bodies, including 10 panchayat unions and 221 village panchayats and district panchayat will be taken up in two phases on October 6 and 9.

He said that many agents had taken the vaccine on the third mega vaccination camp. “Adequate stocks of vaccine was available and they can get themselves vaccinated in the next few days,” the Collector said.

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