Salem: With the model code of conduct for the state assembly election is in force, district collectors in Salem region, which comprises Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Erode districts, have convened all-party meetings and appealed them to follow the poll code and conduct the election in a fair and smooth manner.
On Sunday, 183 para-military personnel arrived in Salem and 92 each in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts. They represent the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Indo-Tibet Border Police.
A Salem city police officer said 91 of the 183 jawans would help the district police and the remaining the city police. “They will be accommodated at the Salem government engineering college at Karuppur, on the outskirts of the city.”
Superintendent of police Sivakumar Pandey, of Chhattisgarh, who led the jawans to the city, said they would assist the local police with vehicle check and keeping a tab on politicians.
Salem collector S A Raman, meanwhile, opened a strong room to keep the electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the presence of functionaries of all political parties. “We have taken 214 EVMs for training polling booth officials and creating awareness among the public.”
He said the district would have 4,280 polling booths spread across the 11 assembly segments.
On his part, Erode collector C Kathiravan inspected a few private schools in the city to set up polling booths and vote counting centres on Sunday. “We have to set up booths and counting centres at Erode municipal corporation school, P P Agraharam middle school and Christ Jothi matriculation higher secondary school.”