New procedure for law and order feedback

MALDA, March 22: The state chief electoral officer (CEO) Mr Debasish Sen has prescribed a new procedure for district magistrates to send daily law and order reports to the Election Commission.

Mr Sen has requested the DMs not to send daily reports to him directly. He has instead instructed superintendents of police to prepare the daily law and order reports. The SP is to send a copy to the DM and police directorate, which, in turn, will compile the reports and send them to the home department. The home (political) department will compile the reports received and send a consolidated report to the CEO. Similarly, Kolkata Police will also send daily law and order reports to the police directorate for compilation.

The CEO has also pointed out that a few sector officials and other electoral officials, who have been in the same office for more than three years, have not been transferred. The CEO has asked the DMs to ensure that all such officers are released by 31 March without waiting for their successors.

The district magistrates have been asked to hire the required number of video cameras for video tracking of events not only on polling days but also during campaigning.

The CEO has asked the district magistrates to send manuscripts for a second supplement of electoral roll, manuscripts for service voters and electoral photo identity card back-ups by the stipulated deadline. n SNS