Berhampur/Chhatrapur: Police officials and other employees who have been assigned poll duties, have cast their votes at Sub Collectors’ offices in Berhampur Chhatrapur and Bhanjnagar Sunday.
Ganjam district’s Berhampur Lok Sabha and Aska Lok Sabha constituencies are going to polls April 11 and April 18 respectively.
For the smooth conduct of elections and maintenance of law and order situation, ample police force will be deployed at booth sites.
Since policemen will not be able to cast their votes April 11 and 18 due of their deployment at booth sites they have cast their votes Sunday.
Special arrangements were made for their postal voting at Sub Collectors’ offices in Berhampur, Chhatrapur and Bhanjnagar. Their votes through ballot papers, two boxes — one for Legislative Assembly and another for Lok Sabha — were kept at the centres.
Similarly, cops from Aska, Bhanjnagar and Sorada constituency cast their votes at Bhanjnagar Sub-Collector’s office.
At Chhatrapur Sub Collector’s office, police officials and policemen of Chhatrapur, Hinjli, Kabisuryanagar, Polsara and Khallikote constituency exercised their franchise.
About 140 or so policemen marked their votes simultaneously for Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha.
Ganjam police district DSP (Crime) Dillip Dash identified the voters in khaki; Saroj Mohan Pal, Gagan Bihari Dash and Rashmi Ranjan Panda were appointed as presiding officers for Chhatrapur sub division, Bhanjnagar sub division and Berhampur sub division respectively.
The presiding officers, polling officers and drivers of the vehicles engaged in election duty will also vote via postal ballot.
In the past, polling parties would reach their respective booths one day before the poll day. This year arrangements have been made to ensure that the poling parties reach their respective booths two days before the poll date.
The polling parties will cast their votes Tuesday at the same time when they collect EVMs before the general public.
PNN