PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Dehradun district magistrate Savin Bansal has directed all Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) to prepare route charts and contingency plans for polling parties within three days as part of the preparations for the three-tier panchayat elections expected to be held next month. Presiding over a meeting with all nodal officers on Monday, Bansal instructed them to complete all election-related preparations on time and carry out their responsibilities with full commitment. He also emphasised the importance of updating personnel data and providing proper training to all returning officers, assistant returning officers and polling and counting staff. He asked officials to ensure timely delivery of ballot papers and other essential election materials. He said that the district administration will ensure smooth access to polling stations. Machines will be stationed with junior engineers at sensitive locations. He also directed the Health department to prepare booth-level health plans and provide first aid kits along with polling materials.
Bansal directed SDMs to verify the voter list carefully to ensure that no eligible voter is left out. He directed the SDMs to coordinate with block development officers and finish all preparations at the earliest. He also asked them to ensure proper barricading and security at nomination centres, polling stations and dispatch and return points of polling teams. The DM instructed all departments to strictly follow the guidelines issued by the State Election Commission regarding the model code of conduct. For remote villages with poor network coverage, he asked officials to arrange alternative communication methods. He also directed the installation of CCTV cameras at counting centres and the setup of a sufficient number of counting tables as per norms. The DM informed that the administration will also organise photography and videography during nomination, storage of ballot boxes, polling and counting. Officials will ensure uninterrupted power supply at all polling stations, he added.
