Take necessary steps in advance for peaceful LS election: chief electoral officer
Sunday, 18 February 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
With the Lok Sabha election drawing near, the State’s chief electoral officer (CEO) BVRC Purushottam chaired a high- level meeting regarding law and order and deployment of police forces and central security forces in the State in the Secretariat on Saturday. Among those who attended the meeting were senior officers from the police headquarters and excise department.
The CEO directed the departments concerned to plunge headlong into the preparation for the ensuing election while stressing that the departmental preparations should be done well before the start of the election process. Urging the police officers to chalk out detailed district-wise plans of deployment and additional deployment of police force and central forces, he underscored the need of firming up a fool- proof programme for inter- State monitoring and inter- district monitoring to facilitate free and fair election.
Further, he instructed the officers concerned to make mandatory provision of CCTV camera installation and surveillance at police and excise department check posts across the State. He also called for review and verification of the list of arms license holders issued from all the districts of the State. He instructed the police department to prepare a detailed list of the history-sheeters and gangsters known to operate in the State.
Purushottam stressed that all arrangements should be made to ensure that there is 100 per cent voting involving the security personnel on duty. Also, he asked the officers concerned to conduct
on-site inspection of sensitive and vulnerable places.
Importantly, the CEO directed the excise department and the police officers to keep an eye on those who are known to store and smuggle illegal liquor during the period of electioneering.
A senior police officer privy to the details of the meeting said that they had informed the CEO that an action plan related to district-wise deployment of police and central security forces and an exhaustive list of sensitive places had been drawn up. The excise department officers on their part informed the CEO that control rooms have been set up to monitor things unfolding in every district round the clock.
Among the senior officers present at the meeting were additional chief electoral officer Vijay Jogdande, joint chief electoral officer Namami Bansal, additional director general of police A P Anshuman, inspector general of police Nilesh Anand Bharane and deputy inspector general of police P Renuka Devi.
