Elaborate Security For Panchayat Polls In Odisha
Bhubaneswar, Feb 15: Elaborate security arrangements have been made for smooth conduct of the election to three tier Panchayati raj institutions in Odisha to be held in five phases beginning on Wednesday with all covid protocols.
As many as 225 platoons of police force and 37,245 Police personnel have been deployed for smooth conduct of the election.
The election will be held on every alternative day from February 16 and will be completed on February 24. The voting will start at 07 AM and continue till 1 PM.
In the first phase of election over 67.51 lakh voters will exercise their franchise in 22, 379 booths in 1669 villages under 71 blocks in 30 districts to elect 200 Zilla Parishad members.
As many as 3,357 booths have been declared as sensitive. As many as 726 candidates are contesting for 200 Zilla Parishad member posts in the first phase of election.
State Election Commission (SEC) sources here said over 2.79 crore voters are scheduled to exercise their franchise in 91,913 wards in 6,794 villages in the election this time. Out of the total 91,913 booths in the state 13,785 have been declared as sensitive booths.
The Voters, SEC sources said, can cast their votes showing the EPIC card provided by the Election Commission of India or any of the 13 documents approved by SEC as their identity proof. The Labour and ESI department Principal Secretary in an order on Wednesday directed all RDCs, PSU, Corporations, establishments, business trades and industrial undertakings that every person employed in any business, trade, industrial undertaking or any other establishment and desiring to vote in the election shall be granted paid holiday on the date of the poll.
