PANAJI: State Election Commissioner (SEC) R K Srivastava on Thursday reviewed the arrangements for the March 22 Zilla Panchayat (ZP) elections at a meeting of district collectors and superintendents of police (SPs).
The district collectors and SPs have been asked to submit plans of law and order arrangements, magisterial, distribution and receiving of poll material, counting, transport, deployment of flying squads and sector officers etc to the Commission. Both the district collectors and SPs have assured to give the same after completion of filing of nomination papers.
The State Election Commissioner asked the DMs and SPs to appoint a nodal officer for each district to coordinate with returning officers in respect of issue of postal ballot, so that no police/election official who is deployed for the election work is not deprived from voting rights. Also informed that the polling staff including police personnel need to apply in advance at least four days before the day of poll ie March 22 at the respective office of the returning officer (RO) in order to issue postal ballot.
The State Election Commissioner directed the district collectors to appoint videographers and place them at the disposal of the returning officers in order to capture the vital events during the electioneering period.
The Commissioner also directed the SPs to identify critical, sensitive/hyper sensitive areas and vulnerable pockets in consultation with the concerned ROs in order to take necessary measures towards confidence building among the people. The Commission will notify the dry days. During the dry days police and excise department need to be vigilant and no unauthorised person should be allowed to carry/transport the liquor. Both the DMs and SPs have been asked to establish and give vide publicity of a helpline number to enable the general public to lodge their complaints regarding violations of model code of conduct or any election related issues, if any.