AGARTALA, Jan 27 (TIWN / IANS) Polls to 587 village committees in Tripura would be held on February 24, the state election commission announced on Wednesday.The village committees, falling in areas under the politically important Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), are equivalent to gram panchayats outside the council areas.State Election Commissioner G. Kameswara Rao told the media that elections for the 4,597 seats would be held on February 24.Of the total seats, 4,018 are reserved for tribals, 180 for people from Scheduled Castes and 2,005 for women."Instead of Electronic Voting Machines, ballot boxes would be used for the polls. This is being done, according to the election laws of the TTAADC," said Rao, who was earlier the state chief secretary.G.K.Rao said that in all 768,404 people, including 379,112 women, were eligible to cast their votes. The statutory notifications for the polls would be issued on January 29.Tripura's ruling Left Front led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) retained the 30-member tribal autonomous body for the third consecutive term in last year's elections.

After the formation of the TTAADC 34 years ago under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, its constitutional and legal powers were upgraded in August 1984 to protect and safeguard the political, economic and cultural interests of tribals, who constitute one-third of Tripura's 3.7 million population.

The TTAADC governs two-thirds of Tripura's 10,492 square km area.

TIWN News Update :

Election Commissioner G K Rao via a press meet on Wednesday has announced the schedule for holding General Election to TTAAD Village Committee-2016.

The schedule is indicated below :

1.     Date of issue of nomination by the SEC       : 29^th January,2016

2.     Last date for making nomination                   : 5^th February, 2016

3.     Date for scrutiny nomination                          : 6^th Febuary, 2016

4.     Last date of withdrawal of candidature          : 8^th February, 2016

5.     Date on which poll shall be taken                  : 24^th February, 2016

6.     Time of Nomination to be filled                      : From 11 am to 3 pm

7.     Date for commencement counting of votes  : 27nd February, 2016

8.     Date before which election to be completed : 7^th March, 2016

As per the rule, the Electoral Rolls of all 2634 Village Committee constituencies have been prepared by Segregating the Assembly Electoral Rolls now in force in the state.  The total number of electors of all 2634 constituencies as per finally published Electoral Rolls are :

Male : 3,89,292

Female :3, 79,112

Total : 7,68,404

District wise break-up is indicated below :

1.     North Dist : 60 Nos of VC, 160 Polling Stations,

2.     Unokoti Dist : 32 Nos of VC, 92 Polling Stations,

3.     Dhalai Dist: 110 Nos of VC, 296 Polling Stations,

4.     Khowai Dist. 69 Nos of VC, 155 Polling Stations,

5.     West Dist : 85 Nos of VC, 198 Polling Stations,

6.     Sepahjala Dist : 58 Nos of VC, 141 Polling Stations,

7.     Gomati Dist : 103 Nos of VC, 243 Polling Stations,

8.     South Dist : 70 Nos of VC, 166 Polling Stations

Total:   8 Dists      : 587 Nos of VC     : 1451 Polling Stations