Additional Commissioner Elections W. P. Sumanasiri said arrangements have been made to ensure a free and fair election in Batticaloa scheduled for March 10 after a lapse of 14 years.

 
The Police and Election authorities will deploy the largest ever manpower for a single district in the history of Local Government polls for the Batticaloa election.

More than 6, 000 Police officers are to be deployed for duty on the election day, out of which 1,800 officers are from outstations. Five officers are to be deployed to provide security for every polling station, in addition to mobile patrols which operate 24 hours a day.

 
Election authorities have planned to set up 285 polling stations to cater to 270,471 registered voters in addition to special arrangements for displaced voters numbering 11,000.

Twenty six counting centres are also to be set up. More than 4,200 officers would be used on the polling day out of which 1,400 are to be deployed at counting centres.

Batticaloa consists of 12 local bodies out of which elections were held for three Pradeshiya Sabhas in 2006.

The upcoming election will elect representatives to the rest including the Municipal Council.

For the march 10 poll 270,471 voters are eligible to vote to elect 101 members from six political parties and 22 independent groups.

Meanwhile delivery of poll cards for the upcoming election ends today (March 4).