Rural polls: Punjab govt declares public holiday on Sept 19

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 17

The Punjab government has declared a public holiday on September 19 to enable the people of the state to exercise their franchise in the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections.

Revealing this here on Monday, an official spokesman of the Punjab government said the state government has announced public holiday on September 19 (Wednesday) in all the government offices, boards/corporations and educational institutes of the Punjab government situated in Punjab and Chandigarh.

Meanwhile, around 50,000 Punjab police personnel will be on duty during Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections, officials said.

"Adequate security arrangements are being made for the polls. There will be a deployment of 50,000 Punjab police personnel during the elections," said V K Bhawra, director general of Punjab police (provisioning and modernisation).

The Akali Dal had earlier sought deployment of paramilitary forces for ensuring free and fair polls. Opposition parties-AAP, Akali Dal and BJP-had accused the state government of "murdering democracy" for allegedly stopping their candidates from participating in the upcoming polls by resorting to hooliganism.

The counting of votes will take place on September 22. A total of 17,268 polling booths will be set up and 86,340 personnel will be put on election duty. A total of 35 observers will be appointed to ensure peaceful conduct of the polls, officials said. - With PTI inputs