Call for Efforts To Conduct Polls in Free, Fair Manner in AP

Vijayawada: Chief electoral officer Mukesh Kumar Meena called for efforts to conduct the elections in a free, fair and peaceful manner in the state.

In a video conference held with the district election officers, superintendents of police and commissioners of police here on Saturday, the CEO reviewed the arrangements being made for conduct of the elections and also the enforcement of model code of conduct.

Speaking on the occasion, he felt the need to avoid any violence in the elections and also the need for conduct of repoll and laid stress to strengthen the vigil on illegal transportation of ganja, liquor, cash and freebies besides keeping a close tab on check posts located at inter-state borders, district borders and at other places. He wanted steps to be taken to control smuggling of liquor from Goa and Haryana to AP. He laid stress on keeping a close watch on transportation of cash and said that in case political representatives and the general public carry cash more than Rs 50,000, it should be seized and advised the election authorities to deal with the issue carefully by not causing any trouble to the general public and the traders. He underscored the importance of resolving the seized cash issue within 24 hours and said that they were going to come up with a Standard Operating Procedure on the issue and assured to communicate once the SOPs were developed.

On violation of the model code of conduct, the CEO asked the election officials to act immediately on such complaints and called for conduct of an inquiry even on the complaints received at the office of CEO and sent to the districts. He asked the officials to send the reports after taking necessary action on the issue to the CEO office and advised them not to send any communication to the CEO office seeking further instructions on the issue.

AP police nodal officer and additional director general of police (law and order) Shankha Brata Bagchi called for communication of information in case of seizure of cash more than Rs 10 lakh, gold and other valuables to the IT officials and felt the need to keep close vigil on illegal transport of ganga, liquor, cash and freebies.