The Punjab Chief Electoral Officer V.K. Singh today directed the DEOs to submit daily report about the performance of Flying Squads (FSs) and Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs) so that flow of money and liquor could be stopped in an effective manner.Holding a video conference with all District Electoral Officers (DEOs) and SSPs, Mr. Singh said that the 350 flying squads (3 each in all assembly constituencies) were operational in state. These should be deployed at various places at random including information collection centers set up by the Excise and Taxation Department at inter-state borders. Mr. Singh said that Para Military forces deployed for election duty should be used for conducting surprise checks at the important places like bus stands and Railway stations etc.
Interacting on the occasion with district Police Chiefs, Mr. C.S.R. Reddy ADGP/IT & T and Elections Cell asked them to organize special meetings with their counterparts in adjoining states at the level of IGs, DIGs, and SSPs to check the flow of drugs, illicit liquor, and money through inter-state borders in an effective manner. He said that 135 locations have been identified for special Nakas on the inter-state borders. Besides this, the Punjab Police would provide 77 companies of PAP to all districts for law and order maintenance during the polls. To ensure peaceful elections, he emphasized the need to speed up the execution of non-bailable warrants in the state. He further directed them to collect information about the non deposited of licensed arms and made it clear that if any licensed arms found used in any violence during polls then the concerned SSPs would be held responsible for that.
Mr. Raminder Singh, Additional Chief Electoral Officer said that 3.5 lakh new EPICs have been issued by the SLA after the implementation of Model Code of Conduct which would be distributed to the voters soon. Mr. B. Purushartha, Additional CEO said that the ECI while issuing a new direction has also clarified that where sector officers/police officials have not found any expenditure sensitive area for the formation of Village and Ward Level Committees, he/she would have to submit a certificate in this regard. He said that at the later stage, if the given information was found incorrect then the concerned officers would be held responsible.Besides this, the ECI has also made it clear that the telecast of films and commercial advertisement involving film actors, who were contesting elections, would not be restrained on TV channels or Cinema theaters. However, telecast of such feature films (other than Commercial advt.) would not be allowed on Doordarshan during the period of the enforcement of Model Code of Conduct, considering that Doordarshan was run on public funds.Supreet Singh Gulati, Additional CEO and Mr. Amit Talwar, Joint CEO and Mr. Shiv Dular Singh Dhillon Additional ETC were also present on the occasion.