HYDERABAD: A state of disorganisation and confusion was witnessed at the six camps set up in Hyderabad for distribution of election material where the distribution process was not completed until Wednesday evening.

The teaching staff collecting the polling material complained to Dawn about inordinate delays in distribution and claimed that the election and revenue officials distributing the material were “untrained” in their task.

They said that they were called in the morning, but the distribution started in the afternoon and they were facing a great deal of problems for polling election material and police security.

Around six camps headed by as many returning officers (ROs) were set up in Hyderabad: Public School Latifabad, Mehran Arts Council, Zubaida Girls College Hyderabad, Sports Complex and Niaz Stadium Hyderabad, District Council Hyderabad.

There was a chaotic situation in all the camps, where elections and revenue staff were seen arguing with the education department staffers about lists of material, names of union councils and other related matters.

Election material was being distributed till the filing of this report at 7pm and there were a large number of teaching staff at the offices and vehicles parked outside the camps waiting to get the material.

Security finalised

The DIG of the Hyderabad police range said that foolproof security arrangements had been finalised for local government elections and declared 1,115 polling stations highly sensitive in the nine districts of the Hyderabad police range.

The Hyderabad police range consists of nine districts: Hyderabad, Matiari, Tando Mohammed Khan, Tando Allahyar, Dadu, Jamshoro, Thatta, Sujawal and Badin.

These nine districts have been divided into 35 zones headed by senior superintendents of police (SSPs) and assistant superintendents of police (ASPs).

Around 38,152 policemen and auxiliaries, including 34,160 policemen, would be deployed in the Hyderabad range while there would be approximately 3,992 auxiliaries in the range.

Around 7,507 policemen and auxiliaries would perform their duty in Hyderabad district where around 4,091 policemen would perform their duty at polling stations of Hyderabad, 2,404 policemen would be deployed on static duties outside polling stations, while 393 would be on patrol except for 78 reserves. Moreover, there would be 7,507 auxiliaries.

There would be total deployment of 3,754 police and auxiliaries in Matiari, 2,312 in Tando Mohammed Khan, 2,971 in Tando Allahyar, 5,649 in Dadu, 4,145 in Jamshoro, 3,043 in Thatta, 2,308 in Sujawal and 6,363 in Badin.

Police divided polling stations in three categories. A total of 1,115 polling stations were declared highly sensitive, 1,200 sensitive and 1,204 normal in the entire range, including 155 highly sensitive, 308 sensitive and 183 normal in Hyderabad district.

Hyderabad has been divided into four zones and each zone would be headed by an ASP.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad SSP Irfan Baloch told Dawn that there was no specific threat to Hyderabad and the police finalised all foolproof security arrangements.

He claimed that the police took 80 per cent of election material to polling stations till late evening and the process was going on.

He said that around 600 Rangers personnel would be deployed in Hyderabad while around 400 army personnel would be on standby. The SSP also headed a police flag march in Hyderabad.

MIRPURKHAS: Under the supervision of deputy returning officers concerned all election staff along with election material, inclu­ding ballot boxes, left the city for their destinations on Wednesday.

All arrangements had been finalised to hold local government election in the district.

Thousands of police personnel and Rangers would be deployed at the polling stations.

Law enforcement agencies would continue their patrolling particularly in sensitive areas.

The election campaign ended on Tuesday night.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2015