Lok Sabha election: Stage set for smooth polling in 2-Tura (SC) PAC

 Four candidates file nominations for Tura seat

A Correspondent

Boko: Security and surveillance have been beefed up in the state as well as in the Garo Hills to ensure free and fair elections. Regarding the security in 2-Tura (SC) PAC, the RO of the West Garo Hills District, Jagdish Chelani, said, “The primary security in this entire election that we seek is regarding the EVMs. EVMs have a protocol for the three-tier security setup, which is again provided with an inner round, a middle ground, and the outer ring through the CAPF, armed police, and then the state police.” 

RO Chelani also added, “We have shifted the strong room from the district headquarters to ISBT, and it has already been earmarked. We’ve already sent reports for the necessary protocol to the CEO office and to the ECI. We have already earmarked a separate strong room for all different leisure constituencies, which we utilised during this Lok Sabha election, along with designated counting rooms, designated dispatch, and receiving centres. So, all of that planning has already been completed. Now, with each stage of work having specific timelines, we’ll be excluding these works once and for all. So, preparations of this sort have been ongoing for the last two months, and we are now in the stage of implementation of these plans as we speak.”

He also added, “Apart from the EVM security, we have FSCs and SSTs that are monitoring different areas. We have overall 67 police nakas, which are co-paternally manned, along with the SST teams in 40 of these locations in rotation. Apart from this, 33 FST teams are appointed at different locations across the district and are stationed there throughout this period of the election. The idea is that whenever a complaint is received from any public, from any candidate, or through internal sources, we have an FST team that is ready to intercept this complaint within half an hour of time through all aspects. In addition, we have three companies in BSF that have come from outside. We also have more companies from the CAPFs and other ARMED POLICE branches who will be coming to the district in order to manage different polling stations. As of now, we have around 71 element polling stations, which have four critical polling stations as well. Our district is well prepared now, and I am sure we have very smooth, definitely violence-free elections within this Lok Sabha.” 

While asking about the protocols during the election, RO Chelani emphasised, “The very purpose of these police nakas, the SST teams, and the FSC teams is to check on undue influence on voters. This includes your freebies, liquor, money, and any kind of aid that can be taken as influence over the voters. All of this is part and parcel of the duties that these teams will be fulfilling. At every checkpoint, there is a limit set by the ECI of Rs 50,000. If somebody is carrying more than Rs 50,000, they are subsequently intercepted by the FSC teams, and submissions are made at the Treasury based on the due receipt of that amount. Then the amount can be released or confiscated by the district administration. For the liquor, we have excise teams that are regularly now doing night raids and night patrols with police teams as well, who are keeping track of all the movement of liquor within the district, both legal and illegal, whichever is found. And if there is any discovery of illegal or illicit liquor in the district, then that is subsequently confiscated and destroyed as per protocol. If there are any bank transactions that are above ten lakh rupees, the IT income tax team is also on the ground now in the district, which will be informed and reported to, and they will take action on that regarding drugs. Again, under NDPS, we have a very specific protocol. Again, the team after interception will do this. So in each of these areas, we have very specific protocols for how to manage situations and how to intercept them all.”

RO Chelani said about filing nominations for 2 Tura (ST) PAC, “Till Wednesday, we have four candidates for nomination with ten nomination papers. Today is the date of scrutiny, and we will be scrutinising these papers for the approval of the candidates for the election. Overall, in our district, we have 539 polling stations. We have multiple teams that are now engaged, right from the presiding officer to the polling officers, as well as the FST, SSTs, police teams, and security teams. So all of that preparation is now in place. This is distributed across the office with different cells, which inculcates all the different administrative units as well within the district, including other administrative setups within the district itself.”

RO Jagdish Chelani also urged the first-time voters to cast their votes.

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