Chandigarh (Punjab) [india], February 16 (ANI): Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Punjab, Dr. S Karuna Raju on Wednesday issued the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the last 72 hours before the poll day in Punjab.
Raju said that these instructions have been issued to all the District Election Officers-cum-Deputy Commissioners that they should make necessary arrangements for the third randomization of polling personnel, certificate of formation of polling party, accommodation and food for polling parties and deployment of micro-observers, Video Cameras, Still Cameras, and webcasting at polling stations.
Punjab CEO also asked them to ensure training to polling personnel, sector officers, EVM management, besides strengthening all Election Expenditure Monitoring (EEM) teams like Flying Squad Teams (FSTs), Static Surveillance Teams (SST), Video Surveillance Teams (VSTs), Video Viewing Team (VVTs), Excise Monitoring Team (EMC), Media Certification Monitoring Committee (MCMC), Accounting Team, 24×7 district EEM Team, and control room during the last 72 hours. Raju also asked them to intensify monitoring and surveillance by the Flying Squads (FS) and SSTs, assistance from booth level awareness group, area of special focus for expenditure monitoring, implementation of model code of conduct for political parties and candidates besides directing them for vehicle permission and ensuring assured minimum facilities at all the Polling Stations. Voter education camps should be organized, he added.
According to the SOP, CEO Raju directed security authorities for advance police deployment plan for the last 72 hours, intensified monitoring and surveillance by the FS and SSTS, area of special focus for expenditure monitoring law and order/security arrangements/CAPF, and special efforts to curb misuse of money power. CEO also asked for obtaining a worry list of polling stations/locations from candidates and their agents, besides, checking inter-state and international borders and placement nakas and keeping vigil at arms and explosives.
Assembly polls: Valuables worth Rs 449.55 crores seized in Punjab after Model Code of Conduct came into force
Valuables worth Rs 449.55 crores in violation of the Model Code of Conduct have been seized by various enforcement teams in Punjab till February 15, after the code came into force in the state ahead of the election.
Giving more details in this regard, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Punjab, Dr. S Karuna Raju on Wednesday said that the surveillance teams have seized 50.19 lakh liters of liquor worth Rs 30.37 crore. Similarly, the enforcement wings have also recovered psychotropic substances amounting to Rs 325.87 crores besides confiscating unaccounted cash of Rs 30.77 crore, he added.
“As many as 1540 vulnerable hamlets have been identified. Besides this, 4,292 persons have been identified as probable sources of trouble, he said adding that out of these persons preventive action had already been initiated against 3778 persons while the remaining would also be brought to book,” he stated. Dr. Raju also informed that from a security point of view 2,532 persons have been bound down under preventive sections of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) act.
Punjab CEO informed that all the 3,163 cases of non-bailable warrants have been executed. As many as 2,8375 nakas are operational across the State, he added. According to Dr. Raju, a total of 3,90,170 licensed weapons in the state 3,79,648 weapons have been deposited to date. Whereas, 130 without licenses weapons were seized in the state. The model of conduct has come into force in Punjab from the date of the announcement of the date of election, January 8 by the election commission of India. (ANI)
