Nine flying squads, static surveillance teams and 24 monitoring teams formed in The Nilgiris

Nine flying squads, an equal number of static surveillance teams and 24 monitoring teams have been formed to ensure strict adherence of the Model Code of Conduct in The Nilgiris, said Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru on Monday.

Ms. Tanneeru told reporters polling would be carried out in the three Assembly constituencies of Udhagamandalam, Coonoor and Gudalur where around 5.5 lakh voters would be eligible to cast their votes in 736 polling booths.

For election monitoring in the Nilgiris district, 9 flying squad teams and 9 static surveillance teams have been formed and are functioning round-the-clock on a rotational basis. These teams conduct vehicle checks, monitor cash movements, and take action regarding violations of the election code of conduct, a release from the administration stated.

The public were advised to carry documentation for carrying cash in excess of ₹50,000 and goods in excess of ₹10,000. “During inspections by flying squads, these documents must be produced. If proper documents are provided, the seized items can be retrieved within seven days,” the district administration said.

“A District Election Control Room, functioning 24 hours, has been set up at the office of the District Election Officer and District Collector to receive election-related complaints and information from the public. The public, political parties, and candidates may contact the control room through the following phone numbers for any complaints regarding election code violations or election-related matters,” the release stated. The control room can be contacted via the toll free number 1950 and 1800-425-2782.

Members of the public can also contact the District Collector’s office in Udhagamandalam at 0423-2957101, Returning officers at Udhagamandalam, Coonoor and Gudalur Assembly constituencies at 0423-2957731, 04262-295125 and 0423-2951374.

More than 6,500 government officials and staff have been mobilised for election duty, the district administration said.