In a proactive step towards ensuring smooth and fair assembly elections, a comprehensive review meeting was convened in the Collectorate Auditorium under the leadership of District Election Officer Ananya Mittal. The meeting, which gathered a significant contingent of administrative and police officers, aimed to assess the readiness of the district for the upcoming elections, scheduled for November 13.
Present at the meeting were Senior Superintendent of Police Kishore Kaushal, PD ITDA Dipankar Chaudhary, ADM Law and Order Aniket Sachan, SDM Dhalbhum Mrs. Shatabdi Majumdar, Rural SP Rishabh Garg, City SP Kumar Shivashish, as well as Block Development Officers (BDOs), Circle Officers (COs), Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), and police station in-charges from across the district.
The meeting delved into critical aspects of election preparedness, including the identification of sensitive polling booths, the assessment of their distances from population clusters, and the scrutiny of expenditure-sensitive pockets. Key discussions also revolved around the investigation report regarding the availability of essential facilities at polling stations, such as water, electricity, access paths, furniture, ramps for the disabled, and toilets.
The District Election Officer emphasized the importance of ensuring that all polling stations meet these basic requirements to facilitate a smooth voting process. Information regarding the compliance of the Model Code of Conduct was reviewed, with specific attention paid to identifying shadow areas that could pose challenges during the elections.
Mittal highlighted the logistics of the election process, instructing the BDOs to create clusters where polling centers may be inaccessible or where security concerns exist. Clusters are intended to ensure the safety of polling parties and voters in challenging areas, and detailed instructions were issued to provide information regarding the types of vehicles required for the transportation of polling staff.
The meeting outlined the designated dispatch centers for polling parties: Cooperative College will serve as the dispatch center for Jamshedpur East, Jamshedpur West, and Jugsalai assembly constituencies, while LBSM College Karandih will serve the Potka, Ghatsila, and Baharagora constituencies. Notably, Cooperative College will also function as the receiving center for all assembly constituencies, where the counting of votes will take place post-election.
In a crucial aspect of the discussion, Senior Superintendent of Police Kishore Kaushal urged all administrative and police officers to conduct thorough reviews of critical booths and determine the necessity of clusters in certain locations. He stressed the importance of identifying potential helipad sites, which will be tagged with respective clusters for emergency use. Additionally, it was recommended that all booths and clusters be associated with nearby Community Health Centers and Primary Health Centers to ensure prompt medical assistance if needed.
Kaushal reiterated the district administration's commitment to conducting free and fair elections, emphasizing the need for vigilance against any attempts to influence voters through illegal means. He instructed officers to maintain a close watch on any activities related to the distribution of liquor, cash, gifts, or drugs aimed at luring voters. Special attention will also be given to inter-state and inter-district checkpoints to prevent illegal movements that could disrupt the election process.
