Punjab Chief Electoral Officer VK Singh on Saturday directed all the DEOs and District police chiefs to enhance vigil in last 48 crucial hours before the poll.
This would be done by laying sufficient nakas besides making more proactive the flying squads and static surveillance teams to respond immediately in case of any complaint to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in Punjab.
Presiding over a meeting through video conferencing, Singh pointed out that it was a litmus test for State election machinery especially the field officers to conduct smooth elections as with completion of two-thirds polling in the country, the national as well as international media was set to throng Punjab keeping in view the high political stakes on certain parliamentary constituencies.
He said as per directions of the ECI, the district police chiefs should ensure that all central paramilitary forces should be put on election duty be it on polling stations or on patrolling and it should not be kept in reserve.
Singh said that with almost 2 lakh employees out of which approximately one each lakh from civil and security forces on polling duty, it becomes imperative to ensure the maximum voting of all eligible employees through postal ballots or election duty certificates. He said that ECI has categorically said that the major focus should be on maximum polling and the state election machinery has already committed the target of 80 per cent polling.
The CEO said the DEOs should take keen interest in ensuring good percentage of polling on 20 purely urban Assembly constituencies and a unique SMS service has already been launched for these to check the length of line of voters on the polling booths of these constituencies. He said that wherever any body finds offering liquor/money to voters, a FIR should be registered immediately.
CSR Reddy, Additional DGP (Elections) briefed the field police officers to use central paramilitary forces strictly for polling and patrolling duty besides ensuring the sealing of malkhanas 48 hours well before the polling. He said that the police personnel accompanying polling parties after reaching the destination should put nakas nearby roads to check any unscrupulous elements. Reddy asked all field police offices right from the Chauki in charge to district police chief to remain mobile. He also said that all the 135 interstate points have been identified and would be sealed thoroughly with the help of neighbouring States’ police.