With the campaigning for the October 21 Bijepur Assembly by-election ending on Saturday, the district administration held a preparatory meeting for smooth conduct of the polling.
After presiding over the meeting, Bargarh district collector Jyoti Ranjan Pradhan said voting would be conducted at 285 polling stations, out of which 129 booths have been identified as sensitive. Security would be tightened at these sensitive booths, said the collector.
Six model booths would be set up in three blocks in Bijepur for the by-poll and 14 polling stations would be put under the CCTV surveillance.
The Election Commission has arranged for live webcast from 28 booths. While 16 booths will be videographed, micro-observers will be deployed at 77 booths.
A total of 2,32,264 voters comprising 1,12,114 women, 1,20,135 men and 10 transgenders have been enlisted for the election.
Special provisions will be made for 2,750 Divyang voters to exercise their franchise. A total of 2,321 vehicles will be engaged for the poll in Bijepur.
The poll will be conducted on from 7 am to 5 pm on October 21. Votes will be counted on October 24 at Padampur in Bargarh district.
Meanwhile, the Chief Electoral Officer has declared a holiday of three days for the voters of Bijepur by-poll who are staying outside the Assembly constituency.
“Paid holiday for such voters has been declared for October 20, 21 and 22. This apart, poll officials, who will be engaged in election duty for more than three days, have been allowed to take optional holiday for one day,” said the CEO.
