A total of four helicopters will be deployed on election duty for the snow-covered areas of Garhwal region during the Vidhan Sabha election 2017. Garhwal Commissioner Vinod Sharma said this while co-chairing a meeting along with Garhwal range deputy inspector general of police Pushpak Jyoti, of the district magistrates and police officers in the region regarding arrangements for facilitating a peaceful, fair and systematic Vidhan Sabha election 2017.
Addressing officials in the meeting Sharma said that it is the responsibility of the Government to ensure that the election is conducted in an impartial manner with transparency.
Sharma said that four helicopters will be deployed in the areas which experience snowfall during the election procedure. Of these four helicopters, two will be based in Dehradun while one helicopter each will be based in Pauri and Uttarkashi.
Monitoring various aspects of the electoral process and machinery, the Garhwal commissioner stressed that the election control room at ditrict headquarter should remain open 24 hours a day and the complaints received should be resolved in the prescribed time. Instructing officials on aspects of work discipline. He also directed the police to provide all required information to the election observers who will be visiting all the assembly constituencies from January 19
The Garhwal commissioner further directed the officials to strictly implement the model code of conduct and avoid inviting political leaders to state and national celebrations in addition to which the officers should not be publicising the achievements of the government in accordance with the code.
Addressing officials in the meeting, the Garhwal range DIG Pushpak Jyoti said that the election is akin to a festival of democracy in which the involvement of everyone is necessary. If there is any type of disturbance or rioting on the day of polling, the returning officer and nodal officer can contact the senior superintendent of police concerned. Police force will be sent to the place as per the demand made by the authorities concerned, added the DIG. The district magistrates of Pauri, Rudraprayag and Chamoli along with sub divisional magistrates and additional district magistrates from different ditricts of Garhwal were also among those present in the meeting.