CEO stresses on strict expenditure monitoring during elections

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 26: To ensure transparency and accountability in the upcoming Parliamentary Elections, a workshop was organized to sensitize the Assistant Expenditure Observers and concerned officers with the requisite information to successfully manage and conduct the elections as per the guidelines of Election Commission of India (ECI).
The programme was conducted by District Election Officer (Deputy Commissioner Jammu) Ajeet Kumar Sahu.
Chief Election Officer, Umang Narula, Deputy Chief Election Officer, DC Excise, Anuradha Gupta, ADC, Neeraj Kumar, Joint Director Information Jammu, Smita Sethi, besides senior officers from various departments also attended the programme.
Chief Election Officer gave informative inputs regarding Election Expenditure Monitoring Mechanism (EEMM) and role of Expenditure Observer, Assistant Expenditure Observer, Accounting Team, Video Surveillance Team, Static Surveillance Team, Flying Squads, and Police in conducting free, fair and accountable elections. He stressed for laying priority on effective monitoring mechanism for elections. He further informed that election expenditure monitoring will be put in each constituency for maintenance of day to day election expenditure of candidate as per the guidelines of Election Commission of India.
He further informed that Assistant Expenditure Observer will be appointed for each constituency besides video surveillance team will be deployed for each assembly/constituency/segment consisting one official and one videographer. AEO will be personally supervising videography of sensitive events and big public rallies in his respective constituency besides video viewing center. Special Flying Squads will be constituted in each Assembly Constituency for tracking illegal cash transactions or any distribution of liquor or any other items suspected which are being used for bribing the voters.
Static Surveillance Team (SST) would also constituted to keep watch on movement of large quantity of cash or any suspicious items or arms being carried out in their area and the entire process will be video graphed by the video surveillance team of the respective Assembly Constituency.
Mr Narula appreciated the efforts of DEO Jammu Ajeet Kumar Sahu for initiating the first district level election workshop.
Joint Director Information spoke about mechanism involved in constitution of the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) besides paid news and advertisements during the election. DC Excise informed about the provisions under J&K Excise Act.