Model code of conduct in force in Tamil Nadu: Flying squads to be GPS-tracked; docu needed to carry Rs 50K or more in cash

MADURAI/TRICHY: With the model code of conduct (MCC) for the assembly election coming into effect, Madurai district administrations intensified installation of global positioning system (GPS) devices on vehicles assigned to election flying squads, and started removing welfare posters of the govt and portraits of leaders in the district collectorate on Sunday.

In Trichy district, as many as 54 teams have been formed to check offences and violations related to it in nine assembly constituencies here. Trichy corporation workers on Sunday evening removed political wall posters and graffiti on Thennur High Road and Collector Office Road areas.

District collector V Saravanan, in a press release, urged people not to carry cash worth Rs50,000 and above without supporting documents. As flying squad and static surveillance squad teams will be engaged in routine vehicular inspections on roads to prevent parties from bribing and mobilising gifts for voters, authorities urged the public and traders not to carry goods worth more than Rs 10,000.

Madurai district administration is ensuring that all vehicles used by flying squad teams, static surveillance teams, and video surveillance teams are equipped with these tracking units. Officials can now monitor in real time where these vehicles are stationed, duration of their halts, and specific routes they patrol, effectively eliminating blind spots in the district's security grid.

Officials said the primary goal is strict enforcement of the MCC. By tracking the squads, the administration can guarantee a swift response to any complaints regarding illegal distribution of cash or gifts. The GPS integration ensures that enforcement teams remain active in their designated zones, providing a transparent and accountable digital record of all monitoring activities across the district.

Trichy collector V Saravanan said people owning arms and licensed weapons are to hand them over to local police stations to ensure public safety and prevent intimidation. An election control room was also opened at the collector's office. People can contact helplines 0431-2905846, 2905921, 2905578, 2905591, and 2905813 to report election-related offences.

From Monday, Trichy corporation would intensify removal of political graffiti on bridges and other public areas. Police personnel conducted random vehicular inspections in parts of the city on Sunday.