20 pc of newly added voters are first time voters, says DC

There are a total of 13,86,515 voters in Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency, of which 7,11,533 voters are in Udupi and 6,74,982 voters are in Chikmagalur district.

Addressing media persons in Manipal on Thursday, Deputy Commissioner Dr Muddu Mohan said that there are 19,706 newly added voters following the enrollment process, of which 20 per cent are first time voters.

The voters slip will be given through Block Level Officers to all eligible voters and in turn, the voters should give acknowledgments to the BLOs. The assistant returning officers in Udupi district are directed to maintain transparency in the distribution of the voters slip.

The intervention of the third party in the distribution of voters slip is strongly avoided. The DC added that measurers are taken to distribute the leaflets carrying the messages over the importance of voting to as many as 2,53,000 families in district.

Election preparations

Dr Muddu Mohan explained that web casting will be done in as many as 197 polling booths, of which 105 are in Udupi and 92 are in Chikmagalur districts. A total of 743 micro-observers have been appointed, of which 233 are in Udupi and 510 in Chikmagalur.

Videography will be conducted in as many as 179 polling booths coming under sensitive, hyper sensitive and Maoist affected areas. Two BSF and one CISF platoons will be deployed in Chikmagalur, while one KSRP platoon will be put up in Udupi district, he added.

Expenditure details

The DC said that the expenditure observer appointed by Election Commission (EC) Ranjan Jha has set the date for the submission of the details of the expenditure in 3 phases, on April 5, 10 and 15 respectively.  Amaranth Mallik and M Ravi are the general and police observer appointed by the EC.

As many as 9,590 polling personnel are appointed in the constituency of which 5,084 are in Udupi and 4,506 in Chikmagalur. The polling officers will be issued appointment orders following the second randomization process. The first phase of randomization of the EVMs in the five assembly constituencies is over.

The warehouses are already provided with EVMs and the second randomization was held on Thursday. As many as 442 vehicles are deployed for poll duties. Besides help desk, signage, health care, ramp, voter facilitation center, toilets and drinking water facilities are arranged in each polling station.

He said programmes under SVEEP has been extensively carried out. The students were administered oath. Hoardings, flexes, posters were put up and film shows are organised. Street plays and Yakshagana are conducted. SVEEP jatha is held in all the 146 Gram Panchayaths. Voting campaign is also done through radios and television, besides SVEEP essay competition is being conducted.

Cash, liquor seized

Since the declaration of election, a total of Rs 68.166 lakh worth cash and liquor has been seized in Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency, said the DC.