DEO Srinagar stresses strict adherence to prescribed standards of ECI

SRINAGAR: The District Election Officer (DEO) Srinagar, Dr. Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat on Thursday inspected the designated Strong Room and Counting Centres being established at SKICC here for all 08 Assembly constituencies of Srinagar District.
The inspection was undertaken to assess the preparedness regarding facilities and security measures for seamless conduct of upcoming General Election to Legislative Assembly-2024 in the District.
During the visit, the DEO reviews the arrangements and facilities at Strong Room and Counting Centres for all 08 Assembly Constituencies viz 19-Hazratbal, 20-Khanyar, 21-Habbakadal, 22-LalChowk, 23-Chanapora, 24-Zadibal, 25-Eidgah 26-Central Shalteng.
During the inspection, the DEO stressed the concerned Officers to take up necessary measures to ensure that all required arrangements are put in place well in advance to facilitate a smooth and efficient election related process.
He also laid emphasis on placing adequate spaces for counters to be placed at Counting Halls in order to avoid any cluttering during management of election related materials.
The DEO also stressed strict adherence to prescribed standards of Election Commission of India to uphold the integrity and fairness of the electoral process.
He stressed on proper handling/management of election material besides ensuring efficient and secure mechanisms for its storage.
Deputy District Election Officer, Mir Imtiyaz Ul Aziz, Nodal Officers and other officials accompanied the DEO Srinagar during his visit.

EO Pulwama emphasises ECI’s commitment to free, fair elections
PULWAMA: A comprehensive meeting was on Thursday chaired by Expenditure Observer for Pulwama, Srikanth N to review election preparedness in the district.
At the outset, the Expenditure Observer was briefed about the profile of the district comprising of 04 Assembly Constituencies. In these constituencies
481 polling stations have been set up across 340 Polling station locations with 4 Assistant Expenditure Observers appointed to oversee the process.
The chair was also informed that for the purpose of maintaining stringent vigilance, 3 Flying Squad Teams have been deployed in each Assembly Constituency (AC), led by an Executive Magistrate. Additionally, 36 Static Surveillance Teams are in place in 8 hourly shifts at 12 strategic locations across ACs, supported by CCTV surveillance, one Video Surveillance Team, one Video Viewing Team and a dedicated Accounting Team.
It was also given out that Expenditure Monitoring Cell, District Grievance Committee, Complaint Monitoring Control Hall, Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC), along with the IT and Excise Departments, are fully operational to ensure smooth conduct of the elections.
The Expenditure Observer expressed confidence in the team’s preparedness and emphasized the importance of the accounting teams in ensuring transparent and accurate expenditure monitoring. He stressed the need for rigorous training for all teams, ongoing visits to key locations, and close coordination among all members.
Adherence to the guidelines by the Election Commission of India (ECI) was strongly emphasized.
He urged all members to work to the best of their abilities to ensure a peaceful election process, free from the influence of freebies and any forms of amusement that could hinder the electoral process. “You are the eyes and ears of the Election Commission of India. I am available 24×7 for any coordination or assistance required,” he added.
As the election day approaches, Srikanth N urged all teams to be extra vigilant throughout the remaining period culminating with polls, to ensure a free, fair and transparent election process in District Pulwama.

DEO Budgam directs teams to ensure MCC is strictly implemented
BUDGAM, AUGUST 22: The District Election Officer (DEO) Budgam, Akshay Labroo today conducted a comprehensive review meeting of Nodal officers of Law and order, MCC, Expenditure Monitoring, MCMC, FSTs, SSTs, VSTs and VVTs for upcoming Assembly polls.
The meeting focused on key areas including law and order, adherence to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), and the functioning of various monitoring teams such as Expenditure Monitoring, Flying Squads (FST), Static Surveillance Teams (SST), Video Surveillance Teams (VST), and Video Viewing Teams (VVT) and MCMC.
The DEO emphasized the importance of seamless coordination among all teams to ensure the smooth and peaceful conduct of elections. Special instructions were issued to maintain strict vigilance and ensure that the election process is carried out transparently and in compliance with all regulations of ECI.
He said that there should be close monitoring of election expenditures to prevent any malpractices, and MCMC to work and report on the concerned aspects.
The DC directed all teams to work in unison to address any issues promptly and to ensure that the election process is conducted efficiently and fairly.

First randomization of EVMs, VVPATs conducted in Kulgam
KULGAM: First Randomization of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and VVPATs for the General Assembly Elections 2024 took place in Kulgam on Thursday in accordance with the Election Commission of India guidelines.
The process was conducted in presence of the District Election Officer (DEO), Athar Aamir Khan, ROs and the representatives of the national and state recognised political parties.
The Representatives of National and State Recognized Political Parties who were present during the 1st Randomization process include Bhartiya Janta Party, Communist Party of India Marxist, Indian National Congress, Jammu Kashmir National Conference, and Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party besides other parties.
The randomisation was done on the EMS Software/Portal of ECI, to the satisfaction of the representatives of all the Political Parties present in the meeting.
All the representatives of political parties expressed their satisfaction over the entire randomisation process.
The copies of lists of randomized CUs/BUs and VVPATs were handed over to the representatives of the political parties present in the meeting during the randomization. Entire process was videographed as per guidelines.

EEOs review preparations in Anantnag
ANANTNAG: The Election Expenditure Observers for Anantnag District, Tamil Selvam S and Debjyoti Chakravarty on Thursday chaired a meeting at Dak Bungalow Khanabal to review preparations for the ensuing Assembly Elections in all seven Assembly Constituencies of the District.
During the meeting, District Election Officer (DEO) Anantnag, Syeed Fakhrudin Hamid and the Senior Superintendent of Police, Dr. G. V. Sundeep Chakravarthy, briefed the observers on the preparedness and overall profile of the seven assembly constituencies.
The observers were apprised of the status of Flying Squad Teams, Static Surveillance Teams, Media Certification and Monitoring Committees, Training, Model Code of Conduct adherence, Expenditure Monitoring, and the functioning of the Control Room. They were also briefed regarding the measures in place by police to ensure a clean and incident free election.
The Expenditure Observers in their addresses to the meeting stressed on ensuring a free and fair election process. They instructed the expenditure monitoring and other teams to remain vigilant regarding any illegal movement of contraband and transactions of any inducements.
They also stressed on keeping a close watch on social media and paid news, and also emphasised on sensitising political parties on expenditure related maintenance of records. They insisted that all monitoring teams must properly maintain the expenditure record of elections.
The meeting was attended by the Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC), Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Deputy District Election Officer (Dy-DEO), Returning Officers of all seven Assembly Constituencies, Nodal officers and other concerned officials.

KR Desk