Keeping in view, vital role of social media and in a bid to control fake news especially 48 hours prior to the polling day in Chhattisgarh, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has formed a Committee for social media regulation.
This was informed by Senior Deputy Election Commissioner of India, Umesh Sinha here on Wednesday.
Addressing a Press conference, Sinha informed that he took review meetings with State level officials, team of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Chhattisgarh, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Home Secretary and other senior officials of the State government and officials of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on poll preparations.
Briefing about review meeting with CEO and his team, he informed that the officials were directed to carry out revision of electoral roll work at a war footing and to complete it within the stipulated time-frame of August 31.
The officials have also been directed to induct those youth on priority basis who have attained the age of 18 years as on date Jan 1, 2018 in the electoral rolls.
Directives were also issued for conducting a special drive for including names of women and differently abled whose names are missing in the electoral rolls, he said.
The meeting reviewed the preliminary preparation for the elections and it was found satisfactory, the official said.
Tasks were also assigned to the officials in the state and a review on it would be done in the next meeting, he added.
Replying to a query on role of ‘Electoral literacy Club’, Sinha informed that it is a drive under ECI’s ‘Sweep’ programme in which awareness would be created among voters by especially trained motivators. This work would be done at the Gram Sabha level and every polling booth would be covered in it, he said.
An action plan has been prepared for the same and it has directed to give special attention to the young voters studying in colleges, Sinha said. About low polling turnout in left Wing Extremist (lWE) affected areas, the official said the senior State police and CRPF officials in the State have demanded for enhancement of security force and thus extra forces would soon be deployed, he said.
Apart from ensuring peaceful polling in lWE areas, we are also committed for increasing the voter turn out there, Sinha said. A ‘Comprehensive Voters Awareness Programme’ would be undertaken in lWE areas, he informed.
Relocation of several polling booths is also to be done in order to remove the fear of voters in lWE areas where voter participation was low in previous election, Sinha said. To a query about action on liquor distribution by the political parties during elections, Sinha said Expenditure Observers would be deployed, who will monitor it and they will take stern action if compliant is found to be true.