CHENNAI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) will spend around Rs 95 crore towards remuneration for polling personnel for the forthcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly election, with honorarium revised after a decade.
The State Election Department is compiling details of government officials to be deployed as presiding officers and polling officers across polling stations. Around 3.5 lakh government officials are expected to be appointed for election duty.
The Commission has approved 75,032 polling stations across the State, and remuneration has been revised for 3,45,160 polling personnel. Each polling station will have a presiding officer in charge of conducting the poll, assisted by three polling officers and one office assistant.
The poll panel has allocated about Rs 12,500 per polling station to cover remuneration for poll day and two days of mandatory training. The amount excludes other election-related expenses such as vehicle deployment, police allowances and expenditure on flying and static surveillance squads.
The previous rates, unchanged since 2014, have now been enhanced.
Presiding officers and Counting Supervisors, who previously received Rs 350 per day, will now receive Rs 500 per day or Rs 2,000 as a lump sum. Polling officers, whose honoraria were Rs 250 per day, will now receive Rs 400 per day or Rs 1,600 as a lump sum.
Per polling station: Rs 12,500 allocation
Total polling stations: 75,032
Polling personnel on rolls: 3,45,160
Staff per booth: 5
Presiding officer: Rs 3,000
Polling officers (3 members): Rs 2,600 each
Office assistant: Rs 1,700