All polling stations located at Singjamei constituency will be manned only by females, Imphal West DC, Th Kirankumar Singh said on Wednesday.
During a press conference at Court Room DEO/DC Lamphel on Wednesday, Kiran said that as a sign of women empowerment, women would be given priority in the ensuing election. There are altogether 530 polling stations in Imphal West.
In every constituency, two polling stations will be manned only by females. This time, all the election training was also imparted by women. So far two online training sessions were carried out and one physical training. Three more training sessions in physical mode are yet to be carried out.
He informed that there is good sign of democracy as the number of electoral rolls have been increased amongst freshers. So far 3,77,290 electors were enrolled for Imphal West. The enrollment ratio is 1099 females per thousand males, Kirankumar said.
The number of enrolments among transgender community and persons with disabilities (PWD) have been increased. In the previous election it was just 20 but this time it was increased to 72 and for PWD the number rose to 3304 which is almost 10 per cent increased, he added.
Kiran said that considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, staff who have polling duty of five assembly constituencies has to return to the campus of DM College of Teachers’ Education.
The constituencies at Sagolband, Thangmeiband, Uripok, Naoriya Pakhanglakpa and Langthabal. Electronic voting machines will be kept in this institution by setting up a strong room. Even the vote counting will take place in the institute campus, he said.
The staff who had served in election duties in the other remaining eight constituencies had to come back to the Imphal West DC Complex, he added.
He also said that the health status of all people who will serve election duty will be screened properly. As such COVID-19 vaccination is compulsory, he said.
Although nominations have already started from February 1, no one has come to file till date but just one candidate from Lamshang RO, he added.
With the objective to conduct elections peacefully and in a free and fair manner, all possible precautionary measures are being taken up by the police department too, SP, Imphal West, Kshetrimayum Shivakanta said.
Shivakanta said that five Coys of CAPF are already sent to the state. Out of it, one company was deployed at Mayang Imphal, one at Wangol, two at Johnstone and one at Manipur College. They have started patrolling, area domination, and confidence building exercises from the past few days, he added.
Another 50 or more Coys of CAPF will be coming in the coming days and they will be placed at all the ACs in Imphal West District, he added while informing that in these security personnel will be manning EVM/Counting Halls, Polling stations in association with district police.
Stating about seizure of liquor and other intoxicant things, he said that drives against illicit items have been intensified. From April last year till date, Imphal West district police had seized 19,113 litres of DIC liquors, 1156 bottles of IMFL, 826 canes of beer, 122.59 kg of opium, 767 gm of brown sugar, 37.37 gm of heroin, 53,784 tablet of WY and 1.989 kg of Ganza.
He also informed that out of 4053 license arms issued by DM Imphal West, 2880 arms (75.63% ) have been collected, 245 arms were given exemption. Besides this, 184 arms of other districts from residents of Imphal West District were also collected.
As a preventive measure, altogether 1520 people were bound over and bound down under different sections of CRPC in order to maintain peace and good behaviour in view of state assembly elections.
Of this, 574 people are for bound over and 946 for bound down.
Around 48 checkpoints or Nakkas were activated in different locations. Along with this, 39 groups of static surveillance teams (SST) have been activated since February 1. Each assembly constituency will have three SST, he added.
He said that defacement of Government, Public and private properties have been carried out as per timelines.
Daily patrolling, frisking/checking have been intensified to prevent any untoward incident. They have identified 16 critical, he informed.
