Chennai: In a first of its kind initiative for a bypoll in Tamil Nadu, the Chennai district election authorities are set to install surveillance cameras in major streets and junctions of high profile RK Nagar assembly constituency that will go to the polls on April 12.

The checkpoints in the constituency will be videographed to monitor the movement of vehicles and persons, Umesh Sinha, deputy election commissioner, Election Commission of India said in a late night statement after meeting the top officials here on poll duty.

"This is the highest deployment of observers in the entire country in the history of elections. More than a dozen income tax officials are assigned duty to attend to the complaints of money distribution both inside and outside the constituency.

These officers have been empowered to search the premises where such complaints are registered", said Sinha adding that surveillance will also be increased at important places like railway stations, airport, bus stands, taxi and auto stands till the polling is over.

A press release from the Chennai corporation said in the back drop of deputy election commissioner instructions several steps are taken to ensure a free and fair poll. The civic body will popularise penal provisions on bribing of voters throughout the constituency.

On the day of polling web casting will be done in all the 256 polling stations. The live recordings will be stored in a server and can be obtained under RTI act on payment of necessary cost. Micro observers will be deployed in all the 256 booths. After Thursday’s meeting, the corporation commissioner has directed that a special team of two IAS and two IPS officers to be on night rounds till the completion of elections, the release said.

Earlier in the day, a team of ECI officials led Sinha reviewed the preparedness of elections in RK Nagar constituency. The team first had a meeting with observers to take their feedback about the preparations for elections and enforcement of Model Code.

Then it held a detailed meeting with the District Election Officer, Chennai, Commissioner of Police, Returning Officer, Director General (Investigation) of Income Tax and senior police officials.