South officials prepped for polls

NAMCHI, 10 Apr [IPR]: Updating about the dispatch of Polling Teams and Polling Materials for Friday to 154 Polling Stations in South District, the Returning Officer-South, Prabhakar Verma, informed that the overall arrangements have been completed. Polling Teams will be dispatched with the materials starting 8 a.m. on 11 April from the Control Room, he informed.

Mr. Verma further informs that 185 vehicles will be ferrying the Polling teams to their respective stations on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Polling Station at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial Institute for the Handicapped (JNMIH) at Boomtar has been declared a model PS which has two polling stations with all basic minimum facilities like having separate entry & exit, drinking water facility, clean toilets, help desk with BLOs etc.

He informs that on the polling day, candidates are permitted to use only 3 vehicles, each carrying mandatory permits from the RO and no more than 5 persons are allowed in each vehicle on that day.

The Poll timings have been notified by the ECI from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., the RO highlighted, adding that the Presiding Officers will conduct a mock poll at 6 a.m. on the polling day one hour before the Poll in their respective Polling Stations. The candidates and their election agents can be present for the Mock Poll in their respective polling stations at 5.30 a.m. on 12 April, the RO added.

Special provisions have been made and special measures have also been taken for sensitive areas and in the 31 critical Polling Stations of South Sikkim.

Mr. Verma underlines that no canvassing will be allowed within 100 metres of the Polling Stations on the day of the election and that all political party offices should be closed within 200 mts radius of all polling stations.

He also emphasized that ferrying of voters to the Polling stations in any vehicle on the day by political parties was now an offence and penal action will be taken under section 123 (5) of the Representation of People’s Act,1951.

The RO also informed that there will be a prohibition on sending of bulk SMSes regarding elections till the end of Poll.

The Returning Officer has requested all candidates to send their Election Agents/ party representative on the dispatch and collection day - i.e. on 11 April 2014 at 8 am and on the evening of 12 April - to witness the opening and sealing of the Strong Room.

As for the issue of frequent power cuts, the RO has directed the Superintending Engineer, Power, to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply on 11 and 12 April 2014. He adds that after the arrival of all the Polling teams with the EVMs, the Strong Room will be sealed.