Close to 2,000 police personnel will be deployed for security purposes on counting day in Salem and police personnel conducted final drill at the counting centres on Saturday.
There are four counting centres in Salem district, at Karuppur, Ammapet, Thalaivasal and Sankari. While Ammapet and Karuppur centres will be under the surveillance of Salem City police, Thalaivasal and Sankari centre will be monitored by the Salem district police.
All precautionary measures had been taken at the counting centres to ensure smooth conduct of the counting process, police officials said.
Collector S.A. Raman conducted randomisation of counting personnel on Friday and they were allotted respective constituencies. Including reserve strength, 198 counting observers, 198 counting assistants and 198 micro-observers had been deployed. As many as 2,190 personnel would be deployed for counting duty including assistants who would bring voting machines from strong rooms to tables. With 14 tables in each of the 11 counting halls, 154 tables would be arranged.
Deputy Police Commissioner M. Chandrashekaran said, “as instructed by City Police Commissioner Santosh Kumar, the centres have been properly barricaded. Two entries have been designated at the counting centres for respective constituencies.
As many as 376 police personnel and 72 Central Armed Forces personnel will be deployed at Karuppur centre and 372 personnel including central forces at Ammapet. Around 700 personnel will be deployed at various parts of the city as part of security centres and to conduct necessary checks.” He added that majority of the force had taken two doses of vaccination.
In Salem rural limits, Superintendent of Police S. Deepa Ganiger said about 700 police personnel would be deployed at both the centres and all personnel had been vaccinated.
In Namakkal district, about 500 staff would be involved in the counting process for the six constituencies in the district at a private college. Superintendent of Police S. Sakthi Ganesan said about 400 police personnel including Central Armed Forces would be deployed at the centre. About 50 personnel would be deployed outside the centre to manage traffic and other security purposes. All police personnel would be provided with security gear.