Elaborate arrangement for polling in Bhopal

Bhopal, Nov 24 (UNI) Bhopal District Collector cum District Returning Officer Manish Rastogi today said the district administration had geared up for the November 27 assembly polls with fool-proof arrangements to ensure free and fair elections.

Mr Rastogi told reporters here that Bhopal district has a total of 1354 booths, of which 376 had been identified as critical while 585 had been marked as vulnerable.

''Additional police force is being deployed in those polling booths and elaborate arrangements have been made in all booths'', he said.

Mr Rastogi said micro observers, who are being deployed for the first time in Madhya Pradesh, would be deployed in 341 polling stations on the polling day while help centres to assist the voters would also be setup up.

He said 60 videographers would be deployed in polling booths to capture any untoward or violent incidents.

Altogether 5674 postal ballots including 1432 for Army men have been issued. The EC had made it compulsory to carry Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) for the polling agents.

Bhopal Superintendent of Police Jaideep Prasad said elaborate security arrangement was in place. There is no hyper critical booth in the district.

Apart from 2500 state police force, 1500 to 2000 outstation force which included 7 companies of Haryana police, 200 Chhattisgarh special armed force and 150 from Police Training Shcool would be deployed to maintain law and order. Besides, adequate number of Central Police Force would also be deployed particularly in the communally sensitive areas, Mr Prasad added.

UNI BDG SP 1513