After constituting several committees to monitor the activities of the candidates and establishing a central control room to ensure smooth flow of information between the people and the officers manning the district election office and the chief electoral office (CEO) during the time of electioneering, the state election commission has appointed eight teams - Video surveillance team (VST), video viewing team (VVT), flying squad (FS), air surveillance team (AST), static surveillance team (SST), media certification and monitoring committee (MCMC), district expenditure monitoring committee (DEMC), liquor monitoring committee (lMC) and model code of conduct enforcement team.
While stating this, the state’s chief electoral officer Radha Raturi said on Friday that no nomination would be received on second and fourth Saturdays with the treasury remaining closed during these two days.
She further informed that the integrated control room (ICR) which will be functional round the clock in the secretariat would comprise officers from police, excise, election commission and income tax department. “Besides, a team would also be functional in each of the districts under the supervision of district election officer (DEO),” she added.
“Once the candidates get the election symbols VST would travel along with the candidates and record each and every moment of the candidates. It would keep watch on whatever they do from receiving or giving money to meeting people. Everything would be recorded in full details. EC would form a number of VSTs as per the number of the candidates in the fray. Such video footage would be viewed and analyzed in details by VVT. The footages would help them keep track of the expenses to be incurred by the candidates,” Raturi said.
FS on its part would check the suspiciously moving or stranded vehicles, she said, adding that SST would keep watch on the movement of the people in and around the sensitive spots. “MCMC has been formed one each at the state and district level. They would see to it that the advertisements to be put up by the political parties and the contenders do not affect peace and harmony of the society. DEMC would monitor the expenditure of the candidates while lMT would check movement of liquor,” the state’s CEO said.