‘Training helps in handling poll duty’

Mysuru Zilla Panchayat (ZP) CEO K.M. Gayathri, who is also the SVEEP Nodal Officer, addressing the training programme related to poll duty at Taluk Panchayat (TP) auditorium in Periyapatna yesterday as others look on.

Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru Zilla Panchayat (ZP) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) K.M. Gayathri, who is also the Nodal Officer for Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP), said that the election can be successfully conducted only when the officials deputed on election duty are aware of the rules and handle responsibilities as a team and the training programmes come handy in this regard.

Addressing the training programme for Static Surveillance Team (SST), Flying Squad Team (FST) and Sector Officers, organised at Taluk Panchayat (TP) auditorium in Periyapatna yesterday, Gayathri said: “Any individual is permitted to carry only up to Rs. 50,000 during elections. If the cash exceeds Rs. 50,000 and below Rs. 10 lakh, the seized amount should be handed over to District Cash Release Committee.  In the case of cash seized above Rs.10 lakh with substantiating documents, it should be brought to the notice of Income Tax Department.”

The Polling Centre should have the bay for senior citizens, waiting room and separate toilets for men and women, Gayathri told the Officers.

Apart from arranging pure drinking water to the voters at Polling Centres, a conducive atmosphere should be created for them to exercise their franchise, suggested Gayathri.

A. Devaraju, Commissioner of Department of Archaeology, Heritage and Museums and also the Nodal Officer for Model Code of Conduct, said: “It will be helpful to discharge duties, if the teachers deputed as Booth Level Officers (BLO) gather information of Anganwadi workers and form a voter awareness team.”

The candidates can spend up to Rs. 40 lakh in the elections and the Officers concerned should keep a tab on their expenditures. Only the vehicles with permission must be allowed to be used and in case of violation, case should be filed and vehicle should be seized, Devaraju said.

Inspector Sridhar of Periyapatna Police Station provided the information related to procedures to be followed while conducting panchanama (collection of witness) during the seizure of cash and other articles at the check-posts and filing of First Information Report (FIR).

Periyapatna Tahsildar Ahmed, Executive Officer C.R. Krishna Kumar, ZP Assistant Planning Officer A.N. Subramanya Sharma and other Officers attended the training.

This post was published on April 12, 2023 7:41 pm