Statesman News Service
MALDA, March 8: The state chief electoral officer Mr Debashis Sen has directed all district magistrates to look into the problems faced by mobile service providers in their efforts to set up towers connecting all state polling stations.
Coverage must be provided to all polling stations in the state, as a precursor to the introduce of the PIN (Polling Information Network). The PIN will allow information to be collected directly from each polling station on the day of the general election.
Mr Sen pointed out that service providers are facing difficulties installing towers due to a lack of adequate power and land - the last due to a number of civic bodies denying their permission. Difficulties are particular acute in the tea plantation areas of north Bengal and "must be overcome".
The state election commission has asked district authorities to identify ‘mobile shadow zones’ and commission towers to cover mobile network services up to and including the state's remote polling stations.
Police superintendents have been asked to instruct the officers-in-charge of the police stations to help service providers in every possible way, to get the job done before the Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, according to district election officials, the CEO has ordered that polling staffs be recruited only after proper training and tests.
In Malda alone, more than 15,000 employees will be required to conduct polls in the two parliamentary constituencies. All these members of the polling staff will be required to pass the tests.
The EC has also directed that a Model Code of Conduct (MCC) squad be formed. (END)
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