As the Lok Sabha General Election approaches, the focus sharpens on election preparedness in Salem district.
On Sunday, April 7, 2024, the District Election Officer and District Collector, Dr. R. Brindadevi, oversaw the commencement of the second phase of training for polling station officers. This crucial training initiative aims to equip officers with the necessary skills and knowledge to facilitate smooth voting processes during the elections. Dr. Brindadevi revealed significant details regarding the electoral infrastructure set up for the upcoming polls.
A total of 3,260 polling centers will be established across Salem district to accommodate voters. To man these centers effectively, a workforce comprising 16,092 officers, including 13,410 primary officers and an additional 2,682 substitute officers, will be deployed. The training initiative is a multi-phase process, with the first phase conducted earlier on March 24, 2024, across 11 centers including Kengavalli, Attur, Yercaud, and Omalur.
The ongoing second phase aims to further enhance the skills and preparedness of polling station officers. During the visit to training centers at Salem Government Law College and Sona College of Technology, Dr. Brindadevi personally inspected the training provided to officers and assessed the basic facilities available for trainers. Notably, participants in the second phase of training took proactive steps to register postal votes and cast their ballots during the training sessions.
The inspection was conducted under the supervision of Assistant Returning Officers, including Mrs. A. Mayil and Mr. R. Murugan. Other officials present during the survey included Salem South Taluk Thasildhar, Mr. J. Selvaraj, Deputy Collector Mr. Keerthivasan, and relevant officers.