TN Secretariat falls silent as poll code kicks in

Status: ClearedHEAD: 18_Che_S_Shan_SECRETARIAT FALLS SILENT AS POLL MACHINE GEARS UPByline: Shanmughasundaram.J@timesofindia.comSecretariat falls silent as poll machine gears upSECRETARIAT FALLS SILENT AS POLL MACHINE GEARS UP:Chennai: Sasikala of Porur remained the lone petitioner at the CM's Special Cell on the premises of the Tamil Nadu Secretariat — the nerve centre of the state govt — till noon on Wednesday. She dropped her petition, seeking a free house under a govt scheme, into a dropbox, as the cabin remained shut with a message stating that the model code of conduct was in force.Ministers' chambers remained locked and the corridors leading to these chambers in the main block, usually teeming with footfall from morning till evening, wore an unusual silence. "We used to have at least 100 visitors on any normal day and the place would be buzzing with activity," said a secretariat staff pointing to the empty corridor. The busy tea shops and canteens on the Secretariat premises have also witnessed a thinning of customers.This has left bureaucrats and staff to carry out routine work in a relaxed pace. "Except for those involved in election duty, the rest of us get a breather from the tight schedule," said a senior bureaucrat. At the same time, the lull offers an opportunity to clear pending files, he said.In sharp contrast, the election machinery has swung into high gear. Pictures of Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik chairing meetings with political parties and reviewing poll preparedness have replaced those of chief minister M K Stalin in the photo gallery at Gate No 5 — a telling sign that the Election Commission of India has taken charge of the administration.The election department is holding multiple meetings with district electoral officers. The ECI has taken over the DIPR's photography room and converted it into a media monitoring centre. The section is now buzzing with activity from morning, gathering and compiling reports on MCC violations and seizures of cash and goods by over 4,200 flying squads and static surveillance teams across 234 Assembly segments. It is also receiving complaints from political parties against their rivals, keeping the election wing in the main block on its toes. /eom/shan/ MSID:: 129661754 413 |