All set for polling: Chikkamagaluru DC

The district administration has made all the arrangements for free and fair polling on April 18.

The district has 1,222 polling booths and 5,400 polling officials have been deployed in the district, said Deputy Commissioner Dr Bagadi Gautham to reporters on Tuesday. Chikkamagaluru district has 9,33,613 voters.

The district will have 20 Sakhi polling booths. Two ethnic booths will be set up at Sringeri and Chikkamagaluru Assembly segments. The district has 319 sensitive and 191 hyper-sensitive polling booths.

As many as 172 polling booths will have micro observers, 117 polling booths will be videographed and the proceedings in 50 booths will be web-casted, informed the deputy commissioner.

The district has 8,276 persons with disabilities. The services of 154 autos and 16 jeeps will be utilised for ferrying them to the polling booths. The polling booths will be provided with wheelchairs. Ramps and railings have been installed at the polling booths.

The deputy commissioner said that dry days will be in force from 6 pm of April 17 to 12 midnight on April 18. Shandy markets will be prohibited. Postal ballots have been issued to 3,116 polling personnel and EDCs have been issued to 4,136 polling personnel in the district.

He said 98% of the voters slips have been distributed to the households. As many as 29 complaints have been received on violations through the cVigil application. As many as 17 have been disposed and 11 have been dropped.

A total of 14,493 litres of liquor was seized in the district. The officials have seized 1,080 jeans pants worth Rs 2.48 lakh and an FIR has been registered.

The officials have also seized Rs 12 lakh cash transported in a vehicle recently and the IT department has been asked to look into the case.