The State Election Commissioner has decided to install CCTV cameras at polling booths to keep watch on unfair means during the forthcoming Assembly elections later this year. For this, the State commission has identified 8,000 highly sensitive booths located in Gwalior, Jabalpur, Chhindwada, Damoh, Katni, Rewa, Satna, Anuppur, Umaria, Dindori, Mandla, Balaghat and Seoni.
The Collectors of these districts have been told to conduct a survey of such polling centers. Police officers are also being consulted in this regard.
Sources in the State Election Commission said the system had been experimented in the Gujarat elections held recently and it had come out mischief makers could easily be identified and penalized with the help of video footage.
Sources said the central control room would be located at the State Election Commission office in Bhopal. Besides, there would be control rooms at each of the district headquarters, they said.
The deputy election officer, Gwalior Anurag Saxena said further work was being carried out to identify sensitive and highly sensitive polling booths.
Meanwhile, a central team of the Election Commission, including chief protocol officer M Amin held a meeting with Collector and discussed the progress of work for the deployment of EVMs.
The meeting was attended by deputy district election officer Anurag Saxena, ADM Shivraj VErma, tehsildar Ramniwas Sikarwar and other administrative officers.