Election Commission of India today convened a special meeting with the Chief Electoral Officer Delhi, Special Commissioner Police along with District Electoral Officers, District Commissioners of Police, Nodal officers and the Chief Executives of Local Bodies and held a comprehensive in-depth review of the poll preparedness for General Election to the Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi, 2020 and discussed all important aspects to ensure holding free and fair Elections in Delhi. A meeting with Chief Secretary, Commissioner Police, Home Secretary, Finance Secretary, Special Commissioners of Police and CEO Delhi was also held in which various important issues were discussed at length so that the ensuing elections are held in a smooth manner in all Polling Stations on 8th February 2020 in Delhi.
Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri Sunil Arora said in keeping with the mandate of ECI, it is of prime importance that Elections are conducted in free, fair, peaceful, accessible, inclusive, participative manner. He said ECI would be ready to handhold whenever required but field level officers should take swift action wherever warranted to ensure fair, just, legal and impartial elections. Sh Arora particularly invited the attention of administrative officers in border districts of Delhi to ensure that adequate Law and Order arrangements are made especially in the identified vulnerable polling booths so that all electors feel confident in exercising their voting rights in secure atmosphere.
Addressing the meeting, Election Commissioner Sh Ashok Lavasa said while the general level of preparedness is a source of satisfaction, Officers need to be extra alert to ensure that no oversight in administrative control or efficiency is committed and groundwork is done regularly to handle any evolving situation. Election Commissioner Sh Sushil Chandra cautioned the Officers against any complacency in ensuring zero-error execution and delivering peaceful elections in Delhi. He emphasised that local teams should keep coordination with IT teams and bordering State counterparts to ensure due attention in law & order and expenditure sensitive pockets.
Chief Secretary NCT Delhi apprised the Commission that all arrangements have been made to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections in Delhi. Commissioner of Police reassured that Delhi Police will keep a strict vigil on law and order situation and take prompt and strict action against violators of law.
Sr. Deputy Election Commissioner, Sh. Sandeep Saxena, in-charge of Delhi at ECI, initiated the review of efforts put in inter alia for Electoral Roll management, Polling Booth arrangements, Security personnel deployment, Quality and fidelity of Transportation Plan, Training of polling staff with special focus on electoral process, EVM-VVPAT procedures, Complaint redressal mechanism, Observers deployment, IT applications usage for voters' facilitation and for Polling officers on duty, arrangements of EVM strong room, counting day arrangements, etc.
CEO Delhi Dr Ranbir Singh assured the Commission that all preparation is on track to deliver peaceful polls. He said entire electoral machinery is fully geared with arrangements tied up with local bodies. Due care has been taken to have Voter I-cards distributed in time, special transport facilitation to senior citizens who have opted for postal ballot facility, QR code facility in 11 ACs to keep voters informed of their number in the queue at polling booths with additional staff in pilot areas. Respective DEOs n DCPs assured adequate surveillance, including that in border and rural fringes, Personnel management & training, Focus on Assured Minimum Facilities at the Polling stations, Appropriate Confidence Building Measures with local communities, Vulnerability mapping in law &order and expenditure sensitive pockets, seizures & preventive action and precautions being taken.
It may be recalled that a comprehensive review meeting to assess the poll preparedness with all concerned officials including CS, CoP, CEO, DEOs, DCPs, Chief Executives of Local Bodies and all other concerned senior government officers of Delhi Administration was conducted by the Commission on 26th December 2019. Earlier also Sr. DEC, Sh. Sandeep Saxena had conducted poll preparedness meetings on 4th November 2019, 10th December 2019 and on 28th January, 2020 with all Delhi Election related officials.
SBS