District administration all geared up for polls

Capital has 2,730 polling booths spread across the two Lok Sabha constituencies of Thiruvananthapuram and Attingal. A total of 3,831 presiding ocers, 3,831 rst polling ocers, and 7,662 polling ocers have been deployed for duty; there are 134 vulnerabl

The district administration is fully prepared for the Lok Sabha elections on Friday, District Collector Geromic George, who is the district election ocer, has said.

Elaborate arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of the electoral process in the two Lok Sabha constituencies in the district.

Fourteen assistant returning ocers and two designate assistant returning ocers are on duty in the 14 Assembly constituencies under the District Collector, who is the returning ocer for the Thiruvananthapuram constituency, and Additional District Magistrate Premji C., who is the returning of†cer for Attingal.

Twenty-eight nodal of†cers too have been appointed to handle aspects such as manpower management, electronic voting machine (EVM) management, and postal ballot in connection with the elections.

There are 2,730 booths in the district. Of these, 1,370 are in Thiruvananthapuram

and 1,423 in the Attingal constituency.

Facilities arranged

Arrangements have been completed in all polling stations under the supervision of the electoral ocers. In booths without toilets, bio-toilets have been ensured. Internet has been ensured in four polling booths that lacked network connectivity.

Forty-two model polling stations have been arranged in the district. There are 14 women polling stations, 14 youth stations, and 28 ‘green’ polling stations.

Route map

Route map showing connectivity to polling stations and route ocers on these routes have also been arranged.

There are 134 vulnerable and critical booths in the district under the supervision of sectoral ocers. Webcasting and special police cover have been arranged to ensure security in these booths.

Trainings were held under the leadership of the Huzur Sheristadar at the Collectorate to ensure eciency of polling ocials.

Polling ocials on election duty and other ocials working in connection with the polls were given training by six Statelevel master trainers, 12 district-level master trainers, and 70 Assembly-level trainers.

As many as 3,831 presiding ocers; 3,831 †rst polling ocers; and 7,662 polling ocers have been deployed for polling duty through the order software.

As many as 20% control units and ballot units and 30% VVPAT machines are in reserve. After two phases of randomisation, the machines were handed over to assistant returning of†cers. EVMs for which commissioning has been completed have been stored in the strongroom.

Arrangements have been made for voters above 85 and the diœerently abled who prefer to go to the booths to vote to cast their votes and return.

There are 42 model polling booths, 14 women booths, 14 youth booths, and 28 ‘green’ stations.

Keeping an eye: District Collector Geromic George inspects the webcasting control room opened at the Collectorate on Wednesday.