Stage set for panchayat polls in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Stage is all set for the ffive-phase panchayat polls scheduled to begin from February 13 with the State Election Commission (SEC) making all arrangements to conduct the polls peacefully across Odisha.

The first phase panchayat polls will cover 29 districts out of the total 30 districts in the state. Deogarh district’s turn is not on the first and second phases, SEC sources said.

“While 58,28,000 voters will exercise their franchise on February 13, polling will be held for 189 Zilla Parishad (ZP) zones, 1,506 Gram Panchayats (GPs) and 20,369 wards,” said Rabindra Nath Sahu, Secretary, State Election Commission.

He said elaborate arrangements have already been made in the respective districts going for the polls.

Training of polling parties has already been held and they will be reporting their respective booths on time, he added.

The SEC has identified sensitive booths across the state and the Odisha police have made elaborate security arrangements accordingly.

Sale of liquor will be banned 48 hours before the polling date and even after 24 hours after the poll.