By Our Correspondent
PIPILI/DELANGA/BHUBANESWAR: Puri Collector Samartha Verma flanked by SP, Vishal Singh on Thursday visited several polling booths in Pipili and expressed satisfaction over the smooth voting since morning . Amid unprecedented security measures and as well as COVID-19 guidelines, Voting is underway for Pipili by-election in Puri district of Odisha, with voters making beeline at polling stations. In 2019 polls, Pipili turnout was 76.37% while in 2014, turnout in Pipili was 77.27%.
Around 2.29 lakh voters are exercising their franchise at 348 booths in the assembly constituency between 7 am to 6 pm on Thursday. About 2200 polling personnel have been engaged for the by-poll including the staff deployed to ensure implementation of Covid-19 appropriate behaviours at the polling booth. 348 EVMs and VVPATs have been deployed in the election.
25 platoons of Police Force along with 3 Companies of CAPF supervised by 35 senior officers in the rank of SP/Addl SP/ DSP/ Inspector were deployed . In addition to this, 163 number of SIs/ DSIs/ Dy. Subedars/ ASIs/ HMs and 736 number of Havildars/ Constables/ APRs/ HGs have been deployed.
The total 348 polling booths have been divided into 4 zones supervised by 3 Addl. SP and assisted by 4 Dy. SP.30 officers in the rank of SI/ASI along with 30 section of force have been deployed at 10 numbers of Naka / Check Posts and 6 SI/ASI with 15 section of force deployed as SF/ QRT under Pipili, Delanga, Balanga and Satyabadi PS areas. Total 32 number of Mobile Parties have been deployed under the mentioned PS areas.A total 6 numbers of Flying Squad/ Static Surveillance teams have been formed for proper monitoring with a view to ensure free and fair Bye-Election.
