SHIMLA: In a virtual meeting held today, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manish Garg chaired a gathering of Deputy Commissioners (DCs) cum District Election Officers (DEOs) to discuss poll preparedness.
The CEO emphasized the need for accelerating the enrollment process of new voters and ensuring timely delivery of Elector’s Photo Identity Cards (EPIC). Since May 10, 2023, a total of 181,509 new electors have been reported, with 167,135 EPIC cards already distributed.
Garg directed the DEOs to ensure the prompt delivery of voter’s cards by the postal department and to guarantee the availability of Assured Minimum Facilities (AMFs) at all polling stations, including ramps, toilets, and clean drinking water facilities.
He instructed the DEOs to identify polling stations for webcasting as per Election Commission of India (ECI) recommendations and to arrange videography for critical polling stations where webcasting is not feasible due to connectivity issues.
Highlighting the importance of security measures, Garg emphasized adherence to ECI instructions regarding the storage and security protocol for all categories of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
He also requested a complete list of counting places, strong rooms, and post-counting storage of EVMs by April 10, considering the bye-polls being held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections.
Furthermore, Garg instructed the DEOs to complete data entry of polling personnel in the Nextgen District Information System for Education (DISE) software by April 10 and to conduct the first randomization process between April 13 to 15.
Additionally, he proposed the establishment of one 'Green Polling Booth' in every district, showcasing eco-friendly materials and local culture.
The meeting also addressed the management of polling stations by women, youth, and Persons with Disabilities (PwD).
Plans include setting up 150 women-managed polling stations, 28 PwD-managed stations, and 54 youth-managed stations across the state. Moreover, each assembly segment is expected to have around four model polling stations, for which proposals were requested from the DEOs.
The meeting was attended by Additional CEOs Dalip Negi and Neelam Dulta, who discussed and deliberated on various aspects of poll preparedness and voter enumeration.
