Chennai: Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo said the cVIGIL app has received 2,085 complaints in the State and action has been taken on 899 complaints. Inquiry has started on 40 complaints and others have been dropped. The app was launched to register complaints with regard to poll violation, including money distribution.
“A total of 1.48 lakh calls have been attended with regard to violation, in which 2,787 calls were dropped,” he said.
Addressing mediapersons at the Secretariat, Thursday, Sahoo said 7,780 polling booths in the 39 Parliamentary Constituencies have been identified as vulnerable and critical.
It may be noted that according to the data released last month only 7,316 polling booths were said to be vulnerable and critical.
Sahoo said these booths will be monitored by webcasts, video surveillance and micro observers. He further said additional Central paramilitary personnel will be deployed in these booths.
Sahoo said there are 2.95 crore men, 3.02 crore women and 5,790 transgenders on the electoral rolls. “In the last two months, 14.10 lakh EPIC cards have been issued to electors who have been included in the electoral rolls recently in the State,” he said.
“The EPIC coverage in the State is 100 per cent. As many as 19.17 lakh electors have received voters slip in the last 10 days,” he added.
Speaking about the arrangements made for the polls, Sahoo said 1,50,302 ballot units, 89,160 control units and 94,653 VVPAT have been readied for elections in the State. Arrangements in 67,720 polling stations have been made, including one all woman polling station, for each constituency. The election officials have issued postal ballots to 4.08 lakh civilian officials and 87,867 police officials in the State, he said.
He further said Rs 127.66 crore cash has been seized in the State by election flying squad and static surveillance teams. The Income Tax Department, with the support of election officials, has also seized another Rs 50 crore cash. The election officials have returned Rs 62.24 crore. Precious metals worth Rs 284 crore have also been seized ahead of the elections in the State. A total of 989 kg of gold and 594 kg of silver has been seized. “The election officials will take action against those distributing cash for votes ahead of the polls,” Sahoo said.