DEO holds meeting with zonal, sector officers in presence of Observers in Kokrajhar

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: The Deputy Commissioner (DC) and District Election Officer (DEO) of Chirang, Gautam Talukdar on Saturday evening held a meeting with all zonal and sector officers of 31- Sidli (ST) Legislative Assembly Constituency (LAC) here in the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner's office.

The meeting was held in the presence of General Observer Ajay Yadav, Police Observer Amarendra Kumar Ambedkar and Expenditure Observer V. Ramanadha Reddy for 31- Sidli (ST) Legislative Assembly Constituency (LAC), district's top officials of security forces, police and civil officials of the district administration.

Conducting the meeting, Chirang DEO and Deputy Commissioner Gautam Talukdar outlined the house details about election preparation so far being done by them for smooth conduct of election in the district. He apprised the Observers, "We will be finishing imparting training to all polling personnel by March 31. We have made arrangement for Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF) at polling stations, vehicles for transportation of polling personnel, postal ballot facilities for 80 years above electors, Persons with Disabilities, COVID-19 suspects and infected people and the employees engaged in emergency services, polling personnel and security forces, including the various measures put in place to ensure COVID-19 protocol on the day of poll."

Instructing the Superintendent of Excise to step up the drive against the storing and flowing of illegal liquor, the Deputy Commissioner and DEO, Gautam Talukdar also informed that there were 40 identified playgrounds for holding election meetings by candidates and political parties, 8 shadow areas, 18 critical polling stations and 9 polling stations at vulnerable hamlets in the district. He said that they had planned to arrange either webcasting or video coverage in those polling stations located at vulnerable hamlet and critical polling stations and had decided to set up three model polling stations with all women polling personnel at Kashikotra Higher Secondary School.

Laying stress on strict compliance of guidelines for COVID-19 protocol, General Observer Ajay Yadav asked the district authority to make available COVID-19 materials like masks, sanitizers, thermal scanners and waiting shed provisions at all polling stations on the polling day. He also instructed the district authority to inform the political parties and candidates in written about the mandated guidelines by the Election Commission of India on COVID-19 as they would be the main persons needed to be extra alert for safe conduct of election, He also stressed proper arrangement for postal ballot facilities for the targeted people by engaging senior officers and the importance of achieving increased voters turn out through the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) activities.

While Police Observer Amarendra Kumar Ambedkar took stock of the security position and reviewed the law-and-order situation of the district. During the meeting, the Expenditure Observer V. Ramanadha Reddy asked the district expenditure monitoring cell and its teams like Static Surveillance Teams, Flying Squads, Video Surveillance Teams to devote their maximum effort in checking, setting up of nakas and conducting raids so as to stop illegal activities, illegal transportation of big amount on money, liquor and gifts items during the election period. In the meeting, officers in-charge of different cells, all 9 zonal and 27 sector officers engaged in 31- Sidli (ST) LAC were present.

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