All set for GHMC polls

Hyderabad: Printing of ballot papers has been completed for all the 150 divisions of GHMC. These ballot papers would be pasted on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMS), according to GHMC Commissioner B Janardhan Reddy.

He said so far 1,600 micro observers had been appointed and senior observers had conducted training programme to these micro observers in the last two days. Besides this, as many as 2,500 engineering students, who were having laptops of their own, had been drafted for webcasting duly providing them with data card.

Training would also be imparted to these students for effectively taking part in the webcasting process in their respective allotted divisions where there were sensitive and hyper sensitive polling stations. Janardhan Reddy said the GHMC had distributed 2,677 postal ballot paper for service voters as on Wednesday as against 2,281 postal ballot applications had been received.

The GHMC had made all elaborate arrangements and was providing minimum basic facilities like drinking water, toilets, and ramps for physically challenged people at all the polling stations in all the 150 divisions.

For each polling station there would be a polling party where one Presiding Officer, one Assistant Presiding Officer and three other polling officers have been deputed. “For counting, which is going to be held on February 5, the GHMC has arranged 24 counting centres with 893 tables where 3,200 staff have been deployed for the purpose,” he said.

The GHMC Commissioner also said so far 40.6 lakh (55 per cent) voter slips had been handed over. The Election Authority said that so far the GHMC had removed 1,81,794 cutouts, flexis, banners, posters, etc., and Rs 2.08 crore had been seized till Wednesday.