Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 17: Chief Electoral Officer, J&K Shaleen Kabra convened a meeting with General and Expenditure Observers for Municipal Polls and instructed them to ensure that the elections are held in a free and a fair manner.
Addressing a team of over 200 officers drawn from across the State, CEO briefed them about their role and responsibility under the guidelines and provisions of the Municipal Corporation and Council/ Committee Act and Rules.
With the announcement of municipal elections, the General Observers and Expenditure Observers are being deployed by the election authority in each municipal body. They are expected to keep a close watch on the election process and act as eyes and ears for the election authority to ensure the smooth conduct of elections.
CEO laid stress on the enforcement of Model Code of Conduct, which has come into effect in the entire State with the announcement of Municipal as well as Panchayat Polls. He asked the Observers to strictly monitor the election guidelines regarding the campaign environment, mechanism for complaints, preparation for elections, voting, counting etc.
The observers were further intimated regarding the use of EVMs in Municipal Elections and for that necessary actions including first level checking and sufficient availability was to be ensured. The special provisions of postal ballot facility for Migrant voters was also discussed at length.
The officers were asked to assess the sensitivity of constituencies/committees, be watchful about electoral malpractices, electoral offences, surrogate expenditure and intimate the election authority promptly in case of any violations of guidelines and rules.
Regarding the implementation of Model Code of Conduct, Kabra instructed the Observers to get themselves fully acquainted with the frequently asked questions, besides going through the guidelines of MCC and implementing the same in letter and spirit for the interest of free and fair elections.
The Expenditure Observers were further impressed upon to ensure that the expenditures incurred by the contesting candidates should be adhered within the ceiling fixed by the election authority vide Notification issued on 29th August, 2018 i.e Rs 1.5 lakhs, Rs 1 lakh & Rs 0.5 lakhs for a ward of Corporation, Council and committee respectively.
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