On the directions of the Election Commission of India, the Haryana Election Commission has decided to form Village level Awareness Group (VAG) and Ward-level Awareness Group (WAG) in the expenditure sensitive pockets to spread the message of ethical voting among the voters and to abstain from any inducement during the ensuing Assembly elections in Haryana.
Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Shrikant Walgad said that the expenditure sensitive pockets would be identified by the sector officers and police officers based on past experience, the level of development and literacy profile and sensitivity of the areas in the distribution of cash, liquor or items of bribe.
Walgad said that the VAG or WAG would be formed for each polling booth or polling location in expenditure sensitive pockets. The members of VAG or WAG could be retired Government servants and officers of bank, public sector undertakings or corporate, eminent journalists or educationists, representatives of civil society organizations, students, NSS or NCC cadets and ex-servicemen.
He, however, made it clear that the member of VAG or WAG should not be affiliated to any political party or any candidate, or should not be themselves candidates or agents of candidate, and their family members or blood relatives are not candidates or political party leaders or party functionaries. The VAG or WAG would have five to ten members with at least one or two ladies, he added.
While detailing the tasks to be undertaken by VAG and WAG, he said that the VAG or WAG would start functioning immediately after the announcement of elections and would work till the polling day. Apart from this, it would organize ‘nookad’ meetings, rallies, group discussions against the evil effects of bribe during elections in their respective areas. The sector officers would also be present in such meetings, he further added. Also, it would popularize anti-bribe advertisements, posters and banners given by the election officials.
The Chief Electoral Officer said that VAG or WAG would encourage collections of evidences of malpractices and informs the election officials or to the complaint monitoring cell. Any member of the group or any citizen could even upload photos, videos, audios of malpractices, collected during election process to the control room through web link.
He said that though this group would not directly take any action against any malpractice yet it would inform the District Complaint Monitoring Centre (DCMC) set up for this purpose. The identity of members giving information or complaint to DCMC would be kept secret. In case VAG or WAG gives any information, it would be ensured that Flying Squads and Static Surveillance Teams reaches the spot at the earliest and take necessary action and gather corroborative evidences. The action taken would be informed to the VAG and WAG so that they get assurance and action is being taken.