THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, Dec 30: Eleven different cells have been notified by the DC cum district election officer Shashi Ranjan to conduct the Lok Sabha election in 2024.
A female executive magistrate, Preety Kisko, heads the election cell. She is posted as deputy election officer here.
Her prime task will be to ensure VIS (voter information slip) reaches every voter at least a day before the poll, if not five days before the polling, as instructed by the ECI.
Again, there is to be at least a woman booth, one each in every assembly constituency (Palamu Lok Sabha constituency has four assembly constituencies in Palamu and 2 in Garhwa district) where right from 2 polling officers to the presiding officer has to be a woman only.
Disabled voters, too, must be well taken care of so as not to cause them any inconvenience.
Additional collector Surjit Kumar Singh has been made head of the Karmik Koshaang and Model Code of Conduct and Law and Order cells.
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Karmik Koshaang, Model code of conduct and law and order cells are extremely important as any lapse or lackadaisical attitude here will bring disaster.
The material cell is to be commanded by IAS officer Md Jawed Hussain, while the transport cell is to be driven by Anwar Hussain.
The most watched and talked about cell EVM and VVPAT will be led by Ravi Anand. Ravi Anand is known for his style of meticulous precision of work.
Sources said the first six cells out of 11 are the artery in the conduct of the election, and here, the deputy commissioner cum district election officer Shashi Ranjan is treading very cautiously.
The remaining five cells are no less tedious. The media cell has been given to deputy director PRD Anand Kumar, a profound reader of all types of newspapers and has a good command of English, too. He knows the subtle difference between political stuff and paid news.
Rightfully, the accounts and expenditures cell is under the state taxes Commissioner Mithilesh Kumar.
The observer cell is a VIP cell following the arrival and presence of observers who are the appointees of the Election Authority.
The observer cell is to be looked after by C S Kunal, executive magistrate cum deputy collector Nazareth.
SDO Sadar A K Tiwary will handle cell of service voters and postal ballots.
Ravi Kumar, an IAS probationer, will lead the computerisation, SMS, and communication cell.
Sources said there may be an enormous amount of vigil for hate speeches as pre-certification of political advertisements shall also apply mutatis mutandis to the website contents. Social media, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc., will be scanned.
Palamu has a history of ‘huge cash by road’. Carrying Rs 50 000 cash in one’s pocket will be risky as one must explain how it came into one’s pocket.
In the recently concluded assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, MP, Rajasthan, etc, one booth had 1500 voters.
If this yardstick is applied here, the polling parties will have to sweat out much in Palamu as voting starts on a low key in the first two hours, picks up slightly around 10, and when the Sun starts receding, voting starts jumping.
