20 squads in Sankarankoil to check poll bribing

CHENNAI: Just a couple of days after announcing the schedule for the Sankarankoil byelection, the Election Commission has swung into action and constituted 20 squads - 10 flying squads and 10 static surveillance squads - to prevent distribution of money and other irregularities by political parties.“The 20 squads are already on the prowl in Sankarankoil constituency,” Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Kumar told mediapersons on Saturday at the Secretariat here.He pointed out that during the 2011 Assembly elections, one flying squad and one static surveillance squad were on duty and now the strength of these squads has been increased.The CEO said that the voter population of Sankarankoil constituency, which stood at 1,91,012, had gone up to 2,05,870. Of this, 1,02,815 are male voters and 1,03,055 female voters.All voters have been given Electoral Photo Identity cards and all of them have been enrolled in photo electoral rolls.Praveen Kumar said there would be 242 polling stations and the Commission would require 1,162 personnel for carrying out election works. A three-phase training would be given to these personnel on election works, he said and added that polling would be webcast and monitored from the CEO’s office at Chennai.All booths in Sankarankoil would be considered ‘sensitive’, he said adding that paramilitary forces would be deployed for security during the polling and counting. Already, the special CEO had paid a visit to the constituency to oversee the preliminary works and he too would be paying a visit there soon, Praveen Kumar said.Since the model code is in force, the State government cannot transfer the officials and no new beneficiaries can be identified for welfare schemes.  No official functions can be held and no new tenders can be called for.