70 booths identified as hyper-sensitive in Koraput

As many as 70 booths have been identified as hyper-sensitive for ensuing Panchayat elections in Odisha's Koraput district where videography will be done during voting to ensure peaceful polling.
Polling for the 3,482 posts of ward members, samiti members, sarpanches and zilla parishad members will be held in five phases from February 13 in the Maoist-hit district. The administration has decided to create 2,973 booths for its 7,68,235 voters, officials said.
"The 70 booths will have videography to avoid any allegation of irregularities. List of the identified booths has been finalized and it will be sent to the state election commission," said Koraput district Collector Jaya Kumar V.

With half of the 240 panchayats of the district being Red-hit, the district administration is examining the security aspect of each and every booth to ensure that the poll process is not hit. "At present, the situation is normal and the poll process is going on smoothly," the collector said.
Officials said polling will be held at Lamataput, Jeypore and Dasmantpur blocks on February 13, at Kundura, Semiliguda and Laxmipur blocks on February 15, at Borigumma, Pottangi and Narayanpatna on February 17 and at Boipariguda, Bandhugaon and Koraput blocks on February 19. On February 21, polling will be held at Kotpad and Nandapur blocks.

The filing of nomination papers for the posts of ward members, sarpanches, samiti members and zilla parishad members ended yesterday.