With an aim to ensure the free, fair, transparent and smooth conduct of Assembly Elections in the district, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Pandurang K Pole today visited Kishtwar, where he chaired a meeting with Nodal officers at Mini Secretariat to review overall Election preparedness for 48-Inderwal, 49-Kishtwar and 50-Paddar-Nagseni Assembly Constituencies of the district.
District Election Officer (DEO) Kishtwar Rajesh Kumar Shavan; Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kishtwar Abdul Qayoom; Additional Secretary Sandish Gupta; Returning Officers of all Assembly Constituencies; Deputy District Election Officer, Idrees Lone and the Nodal Officers monitoring/ overseeing election related activities also attended the meeting.
During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on key aspects of election management, including manpower deployment, EVM randomization and transportation, polling staff arrangements, strong rooms, security protocols, functioning of Control Room and other arrangements for smooth conduct of elections. The DEO through PPT presentation provided an overview of District Election Profile including electorate count, number of polling stations and polling locations, model polling stations, home voting facilities, SVEEP activities and the district’s election management.
Addressing the officers in the meeting, the CEO said that the aim of the visit is to see that there is no deficiency of any kind and to redress deficits at an earliest to make the electoral process successful. He emphasized on the continuation of SVEEP initiatives to educate and engage voters effectively and urged all stakeholders to maximize voter turnout through door- to-door campaigns by roping in the BAGs, BLOs, AWWs, Teachers, Youths and Students of Colleges and Schools under SVEEP initiative.
The CEO instructed for widespread publicity of all SVEEP programs and prepare engaging social media contents by Youth Icons and other media influencers of society to ensure maximum voter awareness. He also stressed for distribution of voter slips among the voters by using the services of BLOs, so that everyone is able to cast his/her vote on the poll day.
The CEO also emphasized on transparency measures for home voting for the elderly and disabled. He also asked all stakeholders that plantation drives shall be organised at all polling stations of the district on scheduled dates, expressing the significance of environmental responsibility.
The DEO apprised the CEO that with an aim to improve voter turnout in the district, micro-level planning has been done for better voter turnout in assembly elections. The DEO assured that the district is fully equipped with an adequate supply of EVMs and VVPATs, including sufficient buffer stock, to ensure the smooth and efficient conduct of the upcoming Assembly Elections, adding that the preparations are in place to facilitate seamless electoral operations across all polling stations.
Meanwhile, SSP presented the law and order arrangements, manpower distribution and the security grid for the district. During the visit, the CEO also inspected MCMC, receipt and dispatch sections, Counting Centres and Strong Rooms at the district headquarters and gave necessary instructions to the concerned Nodal Officer to ensure free, fair and smooth conduct of elections.
The DEO assured the CEO of the Administration’s full preparedness to ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections. The CEO passed strict directions to the Nodal officers and ROs to follow and implement the Model Code of Conduct and keep vigil on violations, if any, in the district.
Later, the CEO also visited the Dachhan area of district Kishtwar to inspect the intermediate strong rooms and polling stations established for smooth conduct of Assembly Elections. He interacted with students and participated in SVEEP Programme there. Meanwhile at district Headquarter, CEO participated in SVEEP Electoral Awareness programme at Chowgan ground.
The awareness programme included the unveiling of Lok-Sabha Election 2024 Coffee Table Book, Plantation Drive, SVEEP cultural Skit, Voters Pledge. A SVEEP Van was also flagged off on the occasion by CEO J&K in presence DEO Kishtwar, SSP Kishtwar and other officers.