Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 12: The Election Commission of India has begun the preparations for the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, scheduled to be held later this year, with Deputy Election Commissioner arriving on July 16 to hold threadbare discussion with the officers of the State Government on security and other arrangements.
Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that Election Commission of India has conveyed to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Jammu and Kashmir that Vinod Zutshi, Deputy Election Commissioner is making two-day official visit to the State from July 16 to discuss the arrangements required to be made for the Assembly elections.
On July 16, the Deputy Election Commissioner will hold videoconferencing with District Election Officers and SPs of all the districts of the State to review the preparedness for Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls and for Assembly elections. On the same day, Mr Zutshi will hold meeting with the Chief Electoral Officer and officials of the State Election Department.
On July 17, the Deputy Election Commissioner will hold joint meeting with the Chief Electoral Officer, Home Secretary, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) and other State Police officers to discuss Security Deployment Plan for the forthcoming Assembly elections, sources informed.
They said that during the joint meeting with CEO, Home Secretary and ADGP/IG Law and Order, the Deputy Election Commissioner would discuss availability of Central and State Police Force, Home Guards etc. “The history of untoward incidents of recent Lok Sabha elections and current law and order and security assessment of State and districts with respect to conduct of elections would be deliberated upon in the meeting”, they added.
Broad security pattern and plan proposed for forthcoming Assembly elections and major concerns, if any, would also come up for discussion in the meeting, sources further said.
During the videoconferencing with the District Election Officers and SPs, the Deputy Election Commissioner will ascertain the district-wise current status of electoral rolls, status of health of electoral rolls as per expected draft publication roll including EP ratio and gender ratio.
He will also review general preparedness for taking up Special Summary Revision, which include training of EROs, AEROs and BLOs, appointment of BLAs by the political parties, online registration facility, special strategy for locating missing voters and reaching out to voters eligible to enroll.
Strategy to fill up deficit of 18 to 19 age cohort, improvement in gender ratio, voters awareness for forthcoming Special Summary Revision, appointment of Electoral Roll Observers and addition and deletion process would also come under discussion, sources informed.
The Deputy Election Commissioner will also discuss rationalization of polling stations including publication of draft rolls based on rationalized polling stations, assessment of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) requirement, sources said, adding assessment of manpower requirement and availability particularly for polling station personnel, BLO, Sector Officer, Micro Observer and Expenditure Control and filling up of vacant posts and strengthening of office set up of DEO, ERO, RO and ARO would also be important points to be discussed during the videoconferencing.
Disclosing that lessons learnt during Lok Sabha elections 2014 and major concerns of the districts would receive special attention of Deputy Election Commissioner, sources said that communication plan, which include identifying shadow areas and action plan to ensure communication in such areas and district helpline during Special Summary Revision besides election planning and proposed security pattern would also be important areas of discussion.
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