Ganjam district Collector Prem Chandra Choudhury told mediapersons at Chhatrapur on Thursday that the district administration has made elaborate arrangements for conducting free and fair elections in the district.
As per the notification issued by the Election Commission of India, two Parliamentary constituencies, namely, Aska and Brahmapur along with the Assembly segments under them will go to poll on April 10 and the process of filing of nomination will begin on March 15.
As per the notification, the last date for filing of nomination is March 22, followed by scrutiny of applications on March 24 and withdrawal of nomination on March 26. Similarly, while elections will be held on April 10, counting of votes will be done on May 16 in 2,833 booths.
According to information available, while the district Collector of Ganjam will act as Returning Officer for the Aska Parliamentary seat, he will be assisted by six Assistant Returning Officers. The Ganjam DRDA PD will be in charge of Brahmapur Parliamentary seat. He will be assisted by five Assistant Returning Officers.
Similarly, for each of the thirteen Assembly seats in the district, one Returning Officer, two Assistant Returning Officers, 15 Nodal Officers and three Senior Nodal Officers have been appointed to execute and monitor the entire electoral process in fifteen different domains such as EVM management, observation, law and order, security, expenditure monitoring, training, material management, ballot paper, media communication, SMS monitoring and communication plan, model code of conduct implementation, helpline and complaint redressal, manpower, transport management and computerisation etc.
As per the draft photo e-Roll 2014, the total intake of voters of all the thirteen Assembly constituencies of Ganjam district was 24,84,593 including 13,07, 406 male, 11,77,155 female and 32 voters of other categories. After addition of 88,681 new voters comprising of 45,656 male, 43,019 female and 06 others and deletion of 34,652 voters comprising of 17,231 male and 17,421 female, the intake strength of bonafide voters reflected in the revised and final e-Roll has increased to 25,38,622, which include 13,35,831 male voters, 12,02,753 female voters and 38 voters of other categories.
Choudhury said that as per the instructions of the Election Commission, the moral code of conduct has already come into force. To check and monitor any unfair practice, adequate number of movable cameras would be employed to keep a strict vigil on law breakers. For effective sharing of election related information with the mediapersons, MCMC control rooms have been opened by which the mediapersons can have access to up- to-date election related information at ease, he said.
Ganjam police are fully geared up for conducting free and fair election in the district, said SP Asish Singh. The police will keep a strict vigil on the law breakers through special squads, he pointed out. Similar action would be taken in ensuring free and fair elections in Brahmapur, said Berhampur SP Anirudha Singh. The district administration also has started removing all hoardings. All the bars and liquor shops would be closed 48 hours before the last date of election campaign, he added. Besides, the district election authorities have a toll-free number ‘1905’ to facilitate the public and media to share information and inquire about the election related issues, he said.
Notably, for the first time, the voters will get an option under the head “none of the above” for not voting for any of the candidates. In regard to the electoral expenses, an MP candidate can spend up to Rs 70 lakh and an MlA candidate up to Rs 28 lakh.