Jharkhand Polls: Palamu DC spurs sluggish polling parties

THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK

Daltonganj, Nov 12: District Election Officer cum Deputy Commissioner Shashi Ranjan had to spur the returning officers, BDOs and COs to give momentum to the rollout of polling parties when it had got sluggish.

It was only 25 per cent of the poll starters who were doing everything other than rolling out. This 25 per cent was spurred. The 75 per cent bulk had already left by buses for their booths.

Polling parties were just idling their time even when they had received the EVMs and materials.

Some were seen spending time in paper matching. Some were seen waiting for their presiding officers.

In sharp contrast to this, the women’s teams were more agile and time-bound than their male counterparts.

Deadline looms, action taken

Noticing the clock reaching too close to 12 noon the deadline fixed by which all the polling parties for the five assembly constituencies were to be in their buses for onward journey to their respective booths, Shashi Ranjan went on asking everyone to be up and doing fast.

Shashi Ranjan first asked the returning officers, BDOs and COs to be right there in their respective constituency dispatch shed and to ensure polling personnel get going.

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Shashi Ranjan even asked Jawed the city commissioner to see as to why the polling parties are glued to their seats here when they ought to have been in the buses for their booth journey.

It saw some flurry of activities. But more tough words were needed then to activate the laggard poll personnel.

Security men lending a helping hand to the polling team

Tough warnings prompt swift action

Very soon, Shashi Ranjan switched over to harsh pronouncements asking polling parties to be seated in their buses as the deadline elapsed.

The DC further cautioned that those who continue to while away their time in some trivialities be ready for action against them by the administration as then the buses will move on without any more waiting for them.

Those who will be so left behind by their own fault for not boarding the bus in time will be dispatched by some special arrangements for which the erring polling parties will be alone responsible and accountable besides a slew of actions that will be initiated against them, added the DC.

This terse warning coming from the DC saw immediate rolling out of the polling parties in thick numbers thereafter.

He even went to a table where he for the convenience of the man on the table did his writing work. This sent out a message of ‘get on before you get axed’.

There was a chaos-free arrangement. The public address system was perfectly in order. The mood of the polling parties was upbeat.

Many security officials were seen carrying EVMs and other poll-related things just to give a big helping hand to the presiding officer.