The biggest challenge before the State police force during the forthcoming State Assembly elections in the State was to ensure a peaceful polling by maintaining strict law and order.
Stating this during a one-day training programme for police officers pertaining to elections, Vinod Zutshi, Deputy Election Commissioner of India, said that it was moral responsibility of all concerned officials and individuals to ensure impartial elections also. Clean and impartial elections were among priorities of Election Commission. He said that all political parties as well as public should have proper knowledge of electoral process, laws, its rules and regulations and hoped that poll percentage would definitely increase through concrete security arrangements at polling centres during voting.
If the situation was not peaceful then voters would not come out of their homes, which was why police should bear this important responsibility to maintain peace, law and order, said Zutshi. He also advised police officers to free voters from fear of musclemen and asked to pay special attention to vulnerable, critical and sensitive polling booths. Police should start preparations for concrete security from right now, he added. Zutshi informed that photo electoral rolls, IDs and polling slips will be useful in curbing fake voting and added that after Maheshwar by-election, photo polling slips will be used for the first time on a large scale in Madhya Pradesh.
He said that booth-capturing can be prevented if officers and police personnel deployed at polling booths are alert and fearless. He also reminded that media, political parties, observers, public etc have kept keen watch over police and administration during elections. Therefore, police would have to discharge their duties with even more alertness.In case of disputes and complaints prompt disposal will have to be made. Apart from rounding off criminals before elections, police should review as to what action had been taken in the cases registered during last elections.
Zutshi said that training should be imparted to police personnel especially those who would be deployed at polling centres. Every police personnel must have knowledge about election-related directives also. The Commission has given time till July 31 to transfer police officers posted at the same place for over 3 years. He directed police officers to fill up vacancies and ensure arrangements for equipments, vehicles, wireless, arms etc before elections. Special attention should be paid to police deployment.
District police should submit its dream plan mentioning requirement of equipment and police personnel. Check-post system should be strengthened further for peaceful polling. He asked officers to get every polling centre analysed at their level. They should make concrete security arrangements at sensitive and musclemen-affected polling centre and include this in their plan. He clarified that the Commission will not tolerate any mistake or error in security arrangements. Zutshi also expressed his satisfaction over poll preparations in Madhya Pradesh. Deputy Election Commissioner of India Sudhir Tripathi, Chief Electoral Officer Jaideep Govind, Director of RCVP Noronha Academy of Administration Rakesh Agrawal etc were present on the occasion.