Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 24: In a bid to ensure free and fair polling, the Election Commission of India (ECI) today appointed two senior IAS officers as Observers to oversee the polling process for four seats of the Legislative Council from Panchayat quota, which were being held after nearly four decades on December 3.
Shant Manu, Commissioner/ Secretary Industries Department has been appointed as Observe for Kashmir division while Atal Duloo, Commissioner/Secretary Tourism Department would be the Observer for Jammu division, official sources told the Excelsior.
They would oversee the polling process and meet candidates, if required to attend to their complaints and other issues during the election process, which would conclude on December 6 with counting of the votes.
Sources said the Election Commission has asked the Observers to tour two constituencies in their respective divisions and meet candidates and the voters, who comprised Sarpanchs and Panchs to ensure free, fair and smooth polling on December 3.
The Observers would report to the Election Commission, sources said.
They added that the Observers would also monitor the process of formatting the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), which is being undertaken tomorrow.
Sources said a total of 290 EVMs (two each for 145 polling stations) were being readied for the voting. The Election Commission has selected 145 polling stations for the voting at all block headquarters of the State.
Each polling station would have two EVMs (in Jammu division one each for J-I and J-2 constituencies and in Kashmir division for K-1 and K-2 segments). However, one unit would control both the machines. The contestants and their polling agents would be authorized to see the EVMs before start of the voting.
According to sources, the Election Commission has also decided posting of staff to all 145 polling booths through the process of random in the computers. The Government officials, who happened to be residents of a block or had served there, wouldn’t be posted on election duty in that block, they said.
The software in the computers has been installed to ensure that no local Government official was posted on election duty in his block. Even the Government officials, who had earlier served in the blocks wouldn’t be posted there, sources said, adding the process would be completed tomorrow and polling staff assigned the duties after proper training.
Three Government officials would be posted on election duty in one polling station.
It may be mentioned here that 37 candidates were in fray for four seats of Legislative Council from Panchayat quota, two each from Jammu and Kashmir divisions. The voting would be held on December 3 while counting of votes would be taken up on December 6.
A total of 33,540 Sarpanchs and Panchs comprised Electoral College for elections for four seats of the Council. While 15,628 Sarpanchs and Panchs would vote for two candidates in Jammu division, 17,912 Panchayat members would exercise their right to franchise in Kashmir division for an equal number of seats.
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