Three-layered security in place at TN counting centres

Chennai, June 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) With the counting of votes for the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu set to take place along with the rest of the country on June 4, a three-layer security cover is in place.

According to Tamil Nadu Home Department sources, the outer periphery will be guarded by local police, the middle ring by the Special Armed Police Personnel and the innermost layer by the Central Armed Police Forces.

Around 1,00,000 security personnel have been deployed across the state for counting day.

Of this, 40,000 have been deployed at counting centres while 60,000 police personnel will be on patrol duty.

Apart from this, 15 companies of the paramilitary forces will also be pressed into service.

Tamil Nadu went to polls in the first phase of elections on April 19 in all the 39 seats and one lone seat for Puducherry Lok Sabha.

As many as 950 candidates were in the fray and Tamil Nadu recorded 69.72 per cent voter turnout, with Dharmapuri posting the highest turnout at 81.20 per cent and Chennai central recording the lowest at 53.96 per cent.

There are 39 centres and 38,000 personnel will be involved in the vote counting exercise.

Elaborate arrangements are in place in 234 rooms located in 43 buildings in these 39 counting centres.

As many as 3,200 tables will be arranged across the state with 14 tables in each counting room.

Additional tables will be set up if there is a necessity and counting of votes on each of the tables will be videotaped.

Each of the tables would be assigned one counting supervisor (Gazetted Officer or equivalent), one assistant, multiple staff (Group D employees) and one micro-observer.

Source: IANS