'Officials to visit houses between May 1 and 5 to provide Form 12D’
Mangaluru (DHNS): As many as 60,934 voters, including elderly people above the age of 80 years (46,927) and persons with disabilities (14,007) in Dakshina Kannada district, will be eligible to cast their vote from home.

“According to the directions of the Election Commission of India (ECI), polling officials will visit the houses between May 1 and 5 and will provide Form 12D. Eligible voters can submit their consent by signing the form and can exercise their franchise through ballot paper on the following day at their house,” Deputy Commissioner Ravi Kumar M R told reporters at the DC hall on Thursday.

The district has 17,58,647 voters, including 86,036 male voters, 8,98,176 female voters and 75 transgender voters, according to the data on March 29.

Among them, 541 are service voters and 33,577 are young voters.

1,860 polling booths

The district has 1860 polling booths (241 in Belthangady, 221 in Moodbidri, 244 in Mangaluru City North, 244 in Mangaluru City South, 210 in Mangaluru, 249 in Bantwal, 220 in Puttur and 231 in Sullia). Among the 1,860 polling booths in the district, 100 booths were identified as model polling booths.

‘’Each constituency has 12 to 13 model polling booths. They are categorised under various themes, like ‘Yakshagana’, ‘Kambala, ‘Blue wave’, ‘heritage’, ‘Go green’, Ethnic (PVTG’s), youth, sakhi and PWD. The walls of these booths are decked up with paintings. Sakhi polling booths will be managed by women polling staff,’’ the DC said.

360 teams

Ravi Kumar said that besides returning officers, there will be video surveillance, flying squad, static surveillance, sector officer, video viewing, model code of conduct (MCC) nodal officers and accounting and assistant expenditure observers (360 teams) in every constituency.

In total, 27 check posts, including 10 inter-state check posts, have been opened across the district, he added.

Precautionary measures

‘’As many as 17 rowdy sheeters have been externed and notorious rowdy sheeters have been detained by the police as a precautionary measure. So far, Rs 10 lakh in cash, 200 litres of liquor and 65 kg of drugs have been seized in commissionerate and district limits,’’ the DC added.

Owners should deposit firearms (revolver/Pistol/SBBL/DBBL/SBML/DBML/NPB rifle) at police stations before April 24, he said.

The DC said that areca growers, quoting the Kerala HC order, had requested an exemption from depositing guns.

A proposal in this regard was sent to the Election Commission, he added.

Control room

The citizens can dial control room number 1950 or use C-VIGIL mobile phone application to submit complaints about electoral malpractices.