Deccan Chronicle 04.11.2009

1,533 booths declared sensitive

Hyderabad
Nov. 3: More than one-fourth of the total 5,663 polling stations in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) have been categorised critical and sensitive.

Polling in these booths during the forthcoming civic body polls will be conducted under strict police surveillance and supervision of additional micro-observers drawn from the Central government.

Even the areas where these polling stations are located will be provided with additional police forces, surveillance videography and other security measures to ensure free and fair polling.

As many as 1,533 polling stations spread in various parts of the old city, new city and surrounding municipalities have been identified as sensitive. The GHMC, the police and the election authorities together identified these polling stations based on past incidents and their proclivity to trouble.

“The sensitivity analysis is based on several layers of information that has been correlated, integrated and analysed. More focus and attention on deployment of special forces is being directed at these polling booths,” the GHMC commissioner, Mr S.P. Singh, said.

The names and the specific number allotted to sensitive polling booths and the municipal wards under which they fall are not being divulged for security reasons.

The police will also wait and see whether candidates on their suspect list will enter the electoral fray or throw their weight behind any other candidate.

Depending upon these calculations and final list of contesting candidates, another round of exercise on sensitive polling booths will be taken up for preparation of the final list of hyper-sensitive polling stations.

In all, there are 18 municipal circles spread over 625 sq km in GHMC limits having 150 wards.

As on date, there are no sensitive polling booths in circle-2, 12 and 16, according to officials.