The Telangana Election Commission is coming up with innovative ideas to ensure smooth polling on the day of the election, on December 7. To keep away drunkards in the vicinity of the election booths, the state Election Commission is mulling over using breath analysers to check drunk voters. Armed with breath analysers, police officials will be deployed at every election booth to check intoxicated voters.
Speaking to TNM, B Venkatesham, Secretary to Government of Telangana Youth Advancement and Culture Department, said that random tests would be conducted at polling stations as there will not be sufficient police force to be deployed at every election booth. "The state election commission has proposed the idea to the Election Commission of India, and we are waiting for an official nod to implement it,” the IAS officer said.
According to reports, the Chief Electoral Officer has already sent a communication to the police, who in turn have decided to use breath analysers. If found drunk, cases would be booked against drunk persons who try to cast a vote, under Section 188 IPC (disobeying the orders of public person) and Section 132 of Representation of People Act for misconduct at polling stations.
During this election season, the police department has already seized a total of 4,79,868.052 litres of liquor worth Rs 9.62 crore, Rs 94.17 crore cash and Rs 7.77 crore worth other items, such as gold, silver, ganja, gutka, tobacco etc.
In order to ensure maximum voting on the polling day, the Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana, Dr Rajat Kumar, has appealed to the voters of the state, including the youth, to play a ‘vigorous and active’ role in elections by casting their votes to shape the policies by the government, instead of keeping away from polling. He was speaking at an interactive session at the Federation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTAPCCI) on Monday.
The state is all set to go to the polls on December 7 and the counting will be held on December 11. According to Chief Electoral Officer, the total number of voters in the state is 2,80,64,680, including 7,46,077 new voters.
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