Get ready for GP elections, Kodagu DC tells officials

The Gram Panchayat elections will be announced at any time by the Election Commission. The officials should make all necessary preparations for the smooth conduct of the election, said Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy.

Chairing a preparatory meeting on Wednesday, she said there are 562 polling booths in the district. The officials should submit a report on the status of these polling booths by November 25.

The officials from the department of women and child welfare department, department of public instruction, PU department, revenue department, forest department, department of animal husbandry and ITDP should inspect the condition of the polling booths and submit a report, she said.

Minor repairs in the polling booths can be taken up. The tahsildars should cooperate with the officials, said the deputy commissioner.

Election officer and assistant election officer should be deployed to each Gram Panchayat. Space should be provided for the election officer in each Gram Panchayat, she added.

Training for the polling officers and assistant polling officers will be held on November 21 at Madikeri, November 23 at Somwarpet and November 24 at Virajpet, said Annies.

The draft list of voters has already been published. Objections can be filed for the draft list till December 17, she said.

Voters can visit the nearest Gram Panchayat or tahsildar’s office to view the draft list of voters. Special voters enrollment drive will be held on November 22, 29, December 6 and 13, she added.

Further, she said that police and revenue departments should identify sensitive, hypersensitive and vulnerable polling booths in the district.

In the back backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, the guidelines of the state election commission should be followed, she added.

Annies said that training should be imparted for polling officials. Mustering and De mustering centres should be identified.

The required vehicles for polling duty should be readied, she added.

Superintendent of Police Kshama Mishra, ZP CEO Bhanwar Singh Meena, Additional DC P Srinivas, AC Ishwar Kumar Khandu and others were present.