Sivasagar all set for Lok Sabha polls with a total of 3,72,986 voters

CORRESPONDENTS

SIVASAGAR/GAURISAGAR: For the forthcoming Lok Sabha poll in 12-Jorhat HPC, the Sivasagar election district administration is all set to conduct free and fair poll.

Under the Sivasagar district falls three legislative assemblies - Amguri, Thowra and Sivasagar- with a total of 3,72,986 voters. In this connection, on Tuesday a press meet was held at the Sukapha conference hall of the Sivasagar Deputy Commissioner’s office where Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Returning Officer Dr S Lakshmanan informed that a total of 3,72,986 voters would exercise their franchise in 506 polling stations in the district. This time there will be 52 polling stations more as compared to the 2014 LS poll. Among them, 196 are in Sivasagar LAC, 166 in Amguri LAC and 144 in Thowra LAC.

A total of 2,400 polling personnel engaged in the polling stations are being imparted training at Demow Girls’ High School, Auniati HS School in Amguri and Sivasagar College. About 450 officials will be in charge of the election management cells. The district administration is trying to ensure more voter turnout this time and awareness programmes are being held on the use of EVMs.

To involve more and more voters, the Election Department is conducting EVM use and familiarization programme throughout the district and mock poll exercises have been conducted among 37,000 villagers in 349 villages so far, besides carrying out programmes like ‘Chunab Pathshalas’ and other sensitizing activities to attract the new voters. On paid news, Dr Lakshmanan said that the MCMC Cell would monitor the candidates and political parties’ activities and expenditure incurred in campaigning. He urged all to inform the ARO by toll-free number 1950 about any report which could violate the sanctity of free and fair election. He also spoke on what exactly constitutes paid news.

Sivasagar Superintendent of Police Amitabh Sinha said that Sivasagar Police would look into security aspects of the poll scenario in over 678 polling stations within Sivasagar election district, besides a part of Mahmora LAC. He told mediapersons that 1,500 police and home guard personnel would be deployed for smooth conduct of election. Around 16 companies of paramilitary units had been sought to assist the district police. He also added that out of the 84 critical polling stations, most of them were located in the Assam-Nagaland border. He said that a flying squad and monitoring unit had been pressed into service to check anti-social activities, use of liquor and illegal transaction.

In the press meet, Sivasagar District Election Officer Jagadish Brahma informed about the model code of conduct which was in force following the election notification, besides obligations and responsibilities of the political parties, candidates and conscious citizens.

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