Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Sept 19: District Election Officer Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma today addressed the media to provide an update on the district’s preparedness for the upcoming Assembly Elections. He outlined key measures taken to ensure smooth conduct of the elections across the five Assembly constituencies, including three reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST).
DEO Sharma highlighted that a total of 745 polling stations have been established in the district. This is a notable increase from the 680 polling stations set up for the Lok Sabha elections. “With 65 new polling stations created over the past two months, all have been equipped with Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF)” he added.
To ensure effective voter outreach, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are conducting regular visits to respective panchayats, and sector officers are overseeing their jurisdictions. As of today, over 4,44,000 voter information slips have been successfully distributed.
In a bid to encourage voter participation, Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) activities have been organized throughout the district. These activities have included a grand Mushaira, balloon rallies, and plantation drives. DEO Sharma also interacted with Electoral Literacy Clubs and first-time voters during field visits to further enhance voter education.
A significant step toward inclusive voting was marked with the initiation of home voting today, enabling voters with specific needs to cast their votes from home.
Polling parties have undergone comprehensive training, while 25 Model Polling Stations have been set up across the five Assembly constituencies to enhance the voting experience.
Advertisements are being pre-certified, and the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) is vigilantly monitoring both print and electronic media. Flying Squads (FST) and Static Surveillance Teams (SST) are actively working across the district to enforce election guidelines.
Special arrangements have been made for the 51 polling stations located near the Line of Control (LoC), with functional bunkers and alternative provisions in place in case of any cross-border shelling.
SSP Rajouri, Randeep Kumar, also briefed the media on the robust security arrangements in place. Area domination exercises have been conducted, and inter-district and intra-district checkpoints (Nakas) have been established. Search operations are ongoing in forest areas, and additional security personnel have been deployed to maintain peace and ensure free and fair elections.
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