Sec 144 near polling booths in south

MARGAO, OCT 30  
In a bid to ensure tension free polls scheduled on Sunday, the District Magistrate, South has imposed Section 144 of the Cr P C within the periphery of 100 polling stations.
Returning Officer for the Margao and Cuncolim civic polls, Johnson Fernandes said Section 144 of the Cr PC has been imposed to ensure free and fair polling on Sunday. “This measure has been taken to ensure that miscreants do not assemble near the polling booths and in tea shops and disturb the polls”, Johnson said.
He said all arrangements have been made by the election authorities to ensure free and fair polls on Sunday.
Hundreds of polling officials fanned out to the polling stations spread across the 20 wards of Margao Municipal Council ahead of the polling scheduled on Sunday.
Polling officials and police personnel assembled at the Nehru Stadium on Saturday morning and later proceeded to their respective polling stations with polling material.
He said the polling officials and policemen will take charge of their respective polling booths this evening and that polling would commence on Sunday at 8 am.
Though the campaign to the run up of the Margao and Cuncolim polls have been peaceful by and large, complaints have come to the fore from candidates, alleging distribution of money and goodies by rival candidates.
In fact, Margao PI Santosh Desai made a round of the Margao municipal area late Friday night. PI Desai said that armed police personnel have taken guard of sensitive areas of the city, including Moti Dongor, Azad Nagar and other slums.
The police have also reinforced their presence in the Fatorda area of the city following allegations and counter allegations of distribution of money by the candidates.