Excelsior Correspondent
BUDGAM, Oct 12: In view of the upcoming Bye-Elections to the Budgam Assembly Constituency, the District Election Officer (DEO) Dr. Bilal Mohi-ud-Din Bhat today chaired a detailed and comprehensive review meeting with all designated Nodal Officers and key officials.
The meeting was convened to meticulously assess the district’s preparedness for ensuring a smooth, transparent, and fully inclusive electoral process.
The DEO underscored that meticulous planning, close inter-departmental coordination, and real-time monitoring are crucial to ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections.
The meeting covered preparedness across multiple dimensions, including law and order, enforcement of Model Code of Conduct, welfare of polling personnel, SVEEP activities, transport management, logistics, material readiness, accessibility for differently-abled persons, staff training, health contingencies, and IT applications.
The key highlights of the meeting include Electoral Rolls & Voter Registration in which the DEO reviewed the progress under the Special Summary Revision 2024, noting that house-to-house verification has been successfully completed across all polling areas. Additions, deletions, and corrections were thoroughly verified, and EPIC (Electoral Photo Identity Card) issuance has been completed for all newly enrolled voters.
Officials highlighted that accuracy of the rolls is being maintained to ensure that no eligible voter is left unregistered.
Under the SVEEP initiative, the district has achieved 100% EPIC saturation for the 1.25 lakh voters of 27-AC Budgam. Ongoing voter education campaigns were highlighted, including door-to-door awareness drives in residential areas, youth registration campaigns in colleges led by Campus Ambassadors, and focused outreach programs for women, marginalized communities, persons with disabilities, and third-gender voters.
The meeting confirmed that there are a total of 173 polling stations across the constituency, including urban and rural segments, covering 111 polling locations. All polling stations will be equipped with electricity, water supply, toilets, ramps, and appropriate signage boards.
DEO was apprised that all Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units have been rigorously tested, stored, and sealed under ECI protocols. A total of 8% of the machines have been earmarked for training purposes to ensure polling personnel are fully familiar with their operation and can conduct the polling process efficiently, avoiding procedural errors.
DEO emphasised strict adherence to training protocols, practical hands-on sessions, and thorough evaluation to ensure that all personnel are fully prepared for their responsibilities.
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