Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh has instructed all the officers concerned to complete the work for the forthcoming Lok Sabha general elections 2019 as per the time schedule given by the Election Commission of India. He issued this instruction while chairing a meeting regarding the preliminary preparations for the general elections 2019 at secretariat on Thursday. Singh directed all the officers present to seek any guidance required from Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) regarding elections.
He also instructed them to make budgetary arrangements for giving honorarium to home guards and ensure their food arrangement on time.
The state’s chief electoral officer Sowjanya said that coordination meeting with neighboring states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh should be held. Further, the training of police personnel should also be conducted on time. The director general of police, Anil Raturi instructed inspector general (law and order) Deepam Seth to take action in this regard soon.
The DGP further said that the proposal for budgetary allocation for giving honorarium to home guards should be cleared expeditiously. He said that talks had been held with the States of Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for the 12,000 additional home guards required during the elections. He also sought the details of the strong rooms so that security of these strong rooms could be reviewed.
The CEO also told the Excise commissioner about the daily/weekly liquor monitoring as per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India. The Electricity Department officials were directed to ensure undisrupted power supply across the state during the election.
They were also directed to ensure proper electricity supply at all the polling centres. Similarly, officials of the drinking water department were directed to facilitate supply of drinking water at the polling centres during the election. The Rural Development department was asked to hold voter awareness programmes through voluntary organisations and Mahila Mangal Dals. The Information Technology department was asked to ensure internet services by having close coordination with BSNL and TSP to the polling stations.
The CEO informed that for voter and election related information helpline number 1950 has been established in each district.
Discussion was also held in the meeting regarding the election expenditure account and consistent monitoring of related activities during the polls.
The Education department officials were directed to check the various facilities at polling centres and keep the buildings ready for use. Similarly, the Public Works Department was directed to ensure that all state roads and link roads are open for traffic and that plans are prepared to reopen roads in case they are blocked.
The health department was directed to ensure medical teams during the various phases of polling and to provide necessary medicines and first aid boxes to polling parties along with free medical facilities to any polling staff in need of such medical help during polling in private and government hospitals.
The forest department was instructed to ensure transportation on forest roads and communication facilities in shadow areas through departmental wireless sets.
The social welfare department officials were directed to ensure that differently abled voters are included in the voters list and arrangements are made for their transportation to the polling stations. Additional chief secretary Radha Raturi, principal secretary Anand Vardhan and other officials concerned were also present in the meeting.