Corporation will conduct zone-level training for polling staff on January 31: Commissioner
The Coimbatore Corporation was taking all possible steps to ensure free and fair local bodies polls, Commissioner Raja Gopal Sunkara said at a press meet here on Friday.
The Corporation would conduct the elections in compliance with the COVID-19 protocol and State Election Commission guidelines. The Corporation had assessed that it would require 6,192 staff to conduct the elections. The number included 20 assistant returning officers, each of who would be in charge for five wards.
The number also included reserve staff of 1,032 to replace polling staff who had tested COVID-19 positive.
At present, Mr. Sunkara said, two assistant returning officers had tested positive. Two of the reserve staff from the same rank would take their place.
As per the State Election Commission guidelines, there would be no campaigning using vehicles till the month-end.
There were 15.61 lakh voters in the 100 wards. The Corporation was preparing a list of newly enrolled voters to be sent to the Commission for its approval.
The Commissioner said the civic body had established a control room for people to report Model Code of Conduct violations. The public could reach the control room at 0422-2300132.
The Corporation had constituted 20 flying squads comprising its staff, police and other government department staff to check on violations. There would be three teams a zone working in eight-hour shifts.
Even though the Model Code of Conduct was in place, the Corporation would continue processing applications for water supply connection. It would also continue with the works it had started prior to the Code coming into force.
Mr. Sunkara said the Corporation would conduct zone-level training for its polling staff at five places on January 31. At the training centers, it would not only collect their postal ballots but also administer booster dose vaccine, he added.
On the first day of nomination on Friday, no nomination was received, the Corporation sources said.
Tiruppur Staff Reporter adds
No nominations were filed in the 440 wards belonging to the Tiruppur Corporation, six municipalities and 15 town panchayats in Tiruppur district on the first day for filing of nominations for the urban local bodies elections.
Arrangements
Officials from the district administration said that arrangements were made at the offices where the nominations were slated to be filed at all the urban local bodies on Friday.
Filing of nominations was expected to pick up pace in the coming days across the district, the officials said.
The elections will be held for 60 wards in Tiruppur Corporation, 147 wards in the six municipalities and 233 wards in the 15 town panchayats. A total of 75 flying squads have been formed to ensure adherence to the Model Code of Conduct at all the urban local bodies, according to the officials.
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