Police should ensure peaceful polls as per Election Commission’s guidelines and directives

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh police should ensure peaceful polls as per Election Commission’s guidelines, directives and law & order. It is the responsibility of both administrative staff and the police to ensure compliance with model code of conduct. This was informed by Director General Training Shri Ashish Shrivastava during second phase of training to police officers at RCVP Noronha Academy of Administration here today. Chief Electoral Officer Shri Jaideep Govind, commission’s Joint Director Poll Expenses Monitoring Shri B.B. Garg, Training Observer Shri V.C. Rawat, IGs, DIGs, SPs and ASPs were present on the occasion.

Shri Ashish Shrivastava said that the police will have to pay attention to critical and sensitive polling booths during Vidhan Sabha elections. Anti-social elements playing mischief during election should be strictly death with. Police will have to seize weapons and strictly prohibit distribution of liquor and money. They will have to keep strict watch over the polling booths included in vulnerability map. Process for deployment of paramilitary forces will have to be undertaken as per directives of the Election Commission.
Shri Ashish Shrivastava said that police officers should use their knowledge and experience in Vidhan Sabha elections. With this in view, the commission has given new dimensions to training this year. Trained SPs and ASPs should train subordinate staff from DSPs to police station personnel. Police officers should remain in touch with district collectors so that elections can be conducted in a better way. District police should also chalk out their own action plan for ensuring peaceful elections. Police officers should not only have knowledge of legal provisions, but should also use them when time comes.
Shri Jaideep Govind informed that no irregularity will be allowed in Vidhan Sabha elections. CCTV cameras will be installed at polling booths to curb booth capturing. Collectors have identified such sensitive booths. Police bears important responsibility to curb illegal activities during elections. Shri Govind said that police will have to meet the challenge of ensuring peaceful elections. Responsibility of ensuring free, fair and impartial elections in Madhya Pradesh will have to be discharged earnestly. He informed that officers of various departments have been imparted training during last 2 months. In Madhya Pradesh, 27 master trainers have been raised for training. Following 2 phases of training to police officers, the third phase will be imparting training to police personnel deployed in districts. Shri Govind informed that number of voters in Madhya Pradesh has increased by 1 crore during last 2 years while one-two lakh voters used to increase evey year earlier. Similarly, photographs of 10 lakh voters were not in electoral rolls whereas only 75 thousand voters’ photograph have left now. Names of about 50 thousand voters have been removed from electoral rolls due to repetition.
During training, IG RAPTC Shri Pawan Shrivastava gave a presentation on role of police in district election management scheme, IG (SAF) Gwalior Shri R.S. Meena on compliance of model code of conduct, IG Law & Order Sushi Sonali Mishra on web portal and Additional Director Higher Education Shri Girish Shama on vulnerable mapping. At the outset, Shri Ashish Shrivastava and Shri Jaideep Govind inaugurated the training by lighting a lamp and Joint Chief Electoral Officer Shri S.S. Bansal welcomed the guests. Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Smt. Bharti Ogare conducted the proceedings.