The Hindu : Community certificates won't be accepted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 06, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Community certificates won't be accepted

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI June 5. Community certificates, widely used for bogus voting in the Saidapet Assembly constituency here, will not be accepted as a valid document for voter identification in tomorrow's repoll in 58 booths, the Election Commission announced today.

Ration cards, bank passbooks, and VAO certificates issued after April 1, 2002 would also not be accepted, the Chief Electoral Officer, Mrutunjay Sarangi, told reporters here.

No unauthorised person would be allowed on the polling station premises. Persons holding public office, including MPs, MLAs, and representatives of local bodies would not be allowed, except in their capacity as voters or agents of the candidates. Mediapersons were also barred from entering the booths and the counting centre. They could, however, cover the election from the premises of the location of the polling stations. A mix of Central government staff and State government employees drawn from neighbouring Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts would be appointed presiding officers and polling officers. Central paramilitary forces would be deployed at all polling stations at 25 per location. The local police would also be deployed. There would be 30 zonal parties headed by one tahsildar or deputy tahsildar, one for each of the 30 locations. They would assist the five observers appointed by the EC. One public relations officer would be appointed at each location to regulate the voters entering the polling station.

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