1,400 micro observers appointed, says DC

Assembly elections: Training for officers to ensure free and fair voting

To ensure free and fair polling on the polling day — May 5 — the district administration has appointed a total of 1,400 micro observers who will keep a vigil on the polling booths.

They will be given a training in this regard on April 28 and 29, said Deputy Commissioner D S Vishwanath.

Addressing mediapersons at his office on Saturday, he said employees of the BEML, postal department, nationalised banks and also Central government staff are part of the observers’ team. The training will be conducted at the BMEL auditorium, Kolar Gold Fields on April 27 and T Chennaiah Rangamandira, Kolar on April 28, he added.

Training for polling staff

About 20 masters’ trainers have been recruited to train up the polling staff and training will be held on April 22 at the T Chennaiah Auditorium in the city, he added.

47,975 voters included
Vishwanath further said that as many as 47,975 applications submitted for inclusion of their names in the voters’ list have been accepted however, 5,049 applications have been rejected. The applications were submitted between January 16 and April 7 for revision/inclusion/ deletion of the names.

In Srinivaspur, 5,797 people had submitted applications; in Kolar- 15,079, Mulbagal - 3,285, Bangarpet - 11,049, Malur - 4095 and in Kolar Gold Fields - 8,670 people had approached and their applications have been accepted. They will be issued EPIC card in the coming week, added the Deputy Commissioner.

Irregularities
Wall posters pasted by the Congress party across Kolar have been cleared as they had not sought permission. Besides, a plaque installed by Varthur Prakash Yuva Sene at Gandhinagar too has been removed and a case in this regard has been registered.
Besides, CPM pamphlets and three vehicles that were being used in the campaign without prior permission, have been seized. The vigilance squad has also seized five vehicles belonging to JD(S) used in the campaign. These vehicles did not have any permit by the authorities concerned. Work on a borewell at Mutyalapet has been stopped and a case in this regard has been registered, he added.

One accepted
Of the 25 people who had requested to remain off the polling duty citing health issues, the district administration has accepted only one. “Condition of that person is very serious, hence, that person has not been appointed on polling duty,” he clarified.

Improve voting
A slew of measures have been implemented to better the polling per centage to 80 per cent from the last year’s 73.09 per cent.

Awareness on voting rights is being carried out through various modes. Besides, 28,000 pledge cards have been distributed to eligible voters through children.
DH News Service