Kangpokpi: Special General Observer for Manipur Pravir Krishna, Special Police Observer Arun Kumar, and Special Expenditure Observer Rajesh Tuteja, Thursday briefed the District Election Officer (DEO) Kengoo Zuringla and the entire election team of the Kangpokpi district at the Conference Hall of the DC Complex, Kangpokpi for ensuring smooth conducts of election in the district.
The role of the Special Observers is to objectively assess the poll preparedness, identify the critical gaps and guide the electoral machinery in the field to ensure impartial, inducement-free, peaceful and Covid safe elections.
After being given a warm welcome by the District Election Officer, the observers reviewed the district’s poll preparedness ahead of the first phase of voting to the 12th Manipur Legislative Election, 2022 scheduled to be held on February 27, 2022.
The Observers highlighted the need to shield the border areas and to check vehicles entering the district. The Observer stressed the need to provide proper food and lodging to the CAPF personnel deployed for the election duty and also abide by the proper Covid appropriate behaviour.
The observers asked the election team to carry out randomization of the polling personnel for free and fair election. They also advised that special arrangements should be made to ensure easy accessibility in communication for those polling personnel assigned for election duty in far-flung polling stations.
It is worth mentioning here that Pravir Krishna had been General Observer earlier in Manipur and Arun Kumar had earlier been with BSF, CRPF & had been the CAPF Coordinator in 2015 Bihar elections. While, Rajesh Tuteja had worked as Director Investigations in Himachal Pradesh & Haryana and also associated earlier with elections in Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
The Election Commission of India has appointed 15 Special Observers for the current General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. They will be supervising and monitoring the work being done by the electoral machinery in their assigned States and ensure that stringent, effective enforcement action is undertaken based on intelligence inputs and complaints received through CVigil, voter helpline among others. The officers will oversee the entire poll process as eyes and ears of the Commission on the ground to ensure free, fair and voter friendly elections.
