BHUBANESWAR:  The Chief Electoral Office on Saturday prepared a blue print for formation of various committees, surveillance teams and training of police for smooth conduct of the 2019 general elections in the State. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Surendra Kumar said, “Committees will be formed for mobilisation of video and static surveillance teams, flying squads and excise teams in law and order reporting and vulnerability mapping.”

Speaking to mediapersons after holding a preparatory meeting here, Kumar said the squads will keep a strict vigil on the activities of political parties and ensure that liquor distribution or monetary transaction is not done by any political party to influence voters. In case of violation of the regulations or model code of conduct, the teams will take necessary action against individual or party as per the standard operating procedure (SOP) of the Election Commission of India (ECI).  

The Director General of Police will appoint two senior police personnel as nodal officers who will report about the law and order situation and election expenditure to the ECI on a regular basis. The two nodal officers will work in coordination with the CEO, he added.The CEO said to make the election process transparent, the ECI has launched a mobile application ‘Cvigil’ for citizens to report any violation of the model code of conduct or poll expenditure directly before the commission. Identification of the critical booths will begin 10 days before the elections and deployment of forces will be decided by the EC observer, he informed.

The meeting was attended by Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy, DGP RP Sharma, Crime Branch ADG Santosh Upadhyay and other senior officials of Police and Intelligence.