A delegation from the Election Commission of India, headed by Deputy Election Commissioner Hirdesh Kumar, engaged in a thorough assessment of the election preparedness in Assam during a review meeting held on Wednesday.
The team, accompanied by Senior Principal Secretary N N Butolia, Director Pankaj Srivastava, and Secretary N T Bhutia, reportedly interacted with district election officers (DEOs), superintendents of police (SPs), and other officials.
Officials from various districts, including DEOs, SPs, Guwahati police commissioner, DIGs, and senior civil administration representatives, actively participated in the meeting, as reported.
As per release, the discussions covered crucial aspects such as the distribution status of EPICs, provisions in polling stations, availability of EVMs/VVPATs, manpower status, SVEEP activities aimed at boosting voter turnout, training initiatives, security force deployment, and election expenditure.
SVEEP, the flagship program of the Election Commission for voter education and awareness, received particular attention during the discussions, as reported.
In addition, the deputy election commissioner, Hirdesh Kumar, emphasized the need for conducting polls in Assam with utmost fairness and a high voter turnout.
During their two-day visit to the state, the Election Commission team also met Chief Secretary Paban Kumar Barthakur, secretaries of various government departments, Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel, and State Police Nodal Officer P K Bhuyan, as reported.
Furthermore, discussions with State CAPF Nodal Officer Akhilesh Kumar Singh and Nodal Officer (Election Expenditure) Dilip Kumar Dey were also held to comprehensively review poll preparedness.
In sum, the team’s activities on the first day included meetings with representatives from various central enforcement agencies, reinforcing the commitment to ensuring free, fair, and peaceful elections in Assam.
The Election Commission reiterated its directive for all officials to ensure the conduct of polls in Assam with integrity and encourage a robust voter turnout.
