Tripura revs up for next year’s polls Agartala, December 17 (PTI): Tripura’s Chief Electoral Officer Sriram Taranikanti has said that the required number of 4,700 Electronic Voting Machines have arrived in the State where Assembly elections are due early next year. Taranikanti said 260 companies of Central paramilitary forces were used in Tripura in the last Assembly elections in 2013 and the Centre was requested for more forces this year. “A total of 4700 EVMs have reached Tripura. That is the required number of EVMs for the assembly election,” he told reporters here. The CEO said 4,080 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines were also dispatched to the State for use along with the EVM units. But the State election authorities have sought 800 more VVPAT units from the Election Commission, he said. Technical personnel from the Electronics Corporation of India Limited would soon visit Tripura to test the EVMs and VVPATs. Taranikanti also informed that the election authorities here have urged the Centre for more than the 260 companies of Central paramilitary forces used last time. However, he said, the requirement of Central forces could be estimated only after nomination and scrutiny process is completed. IED found in Imphal West district Imphal, December 17 (PTI): An improvised explosive device (IED) was recovered by police from a village in Imphal West district today. The local people found the IED at a spot near Konthoujam and Lainam village under Patsoi Police Station in district, a police officer said. The local people immediately informed the police. A combined team of police and army personnel rushed to the area and cordoned the place and safely removed the IED and took it for disposal, said the officer.
