Puducherry Assembly election: Arrangements in place for smooth conduct of polls on Thursday

Puducherry prepares for smooth polling on April 9 with 4,800 officers, police support, and a paid holiday for voters.

The Election Department is fully geared up for the April 9 polls with around 4,800 officers ready to take charge of 1,099 polling stations in the Union Territory. Polling will commence around 7 a.m. and will come to an end at 6 p.m.

Besides 4,800-odd polling officers, the department would utilise the services of around 2,700 personnel from the territorial police for law and order duty. Apart from the deployment of Puducherry Police, the services of Central Armed Police Forces and India Reserve Battalion would also be used.

The CAPF personnel would be deployed mostly in vulnerable and critical booths in all four regions. The department would also utilise the services of around 2,000 volunteers, mostly students. District Collector-cum-District Elections Officer A. Kulothungan on Tuesday handed over badges and uniforms to the volunteers.

Chief Electoral Officer P. Jawahar said the Labour Department has issued necessary notification allowing every person employed in any business, trade, industries, shops or other establishment to get a paid holiday for exercising their franchise. The employees should be granted a paid holiday on the day of polling, and no deduction or abatement of wages should be made on account of such holiday.

On account of elections, the outpatient unit at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research will be closed on Thursday. However, the emergency services of the hospital will function without any interruption, a release from the institute said.