Election preparedness reviewed in Rajouri

DEO asks Enforcement agencies to step up Surveillance

RAJOURI, AUGUST 25: District Election Officer (DEO) Rajouri Abhishek Sharma on Sunday chaired back to back meetings with district Nodal Officers and enforcement departments to assess the preparedness for the Assembly Elections 2024 and step up surveillance to keep check on violation of ECI guidelines, including Model Code of Conduct.

The meeting was marked by an in-depth discussion on several key aspects of the election process, including the transportation of polling staff and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), training of polling personnel, and the operational readiness of control rooms.

Key topics of discussion also included the welfare of polling parties, complaint redressal mechanisms through the control room, voter facilitation centers, duties of micro observers, home voting schedules, webcasting arrangements, and the implementation of Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) and Model Code of Conduct (MCC) guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The meeting saw the participation of several distinguished officials, including ADDC Raj Kumar Thapa, ADC Rajeev Khajuria, and various Nodal Officers.

In the following meeting, the DEO issued several key directives to the enforcement agencies. The Excise and Taxation Officer (ETO) was instructed to strictly monitor and prevent the illegal sale of wine. He asked to enforce proper billing practices to curb the illegal stocking of alcoholic beverages. The State Tax Officer (STO) also directed to provide detailed reports on any seizures made during the election period.

Emphasizing the importance of the Election Surveillance and Monitoring System (ESMS), the DEO highlighted the importance of maintaining election integrity. The Legal Metrology Department was directed to ensure that petrol pumps maintain a reserve stock of petrol and diesel specifically for election vehicles.

The Divisional Forest Officers (DFO) of Rajouri and Nowshera were tasked with providing track for the movement of polling parties. They were also asked to share the details of checkpoints (Nakas) to enhance security measures.

In a move to improve communication infrastructure, telecom operators were instructed to survey the latitude and longitude of polling stations to assess signal strength and submit their findings. Additionally, telecom companies were encouraged to adopt some polling stations under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

A comprehensive communication plan was deemed essential, and the DEO directed that the delivery of Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) must be ensured by the postal services. In cases where voters have relocated, the EPICs should be handed over to the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for proper distribution.

The meeting was attended by Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC) Raj Kumar Thapa, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Rajeev Khajuria, DFOs of Rajouri and Nowshera, ETO, STO and other Nodal Officers of the enforcement agencies.