EC team meet officials, returns to Delhi

A team of senior officers deputed by the Election Commission of India visited Agartala, Tripura on November 22&23, 2022 to take stock of preparedness for the forthcoming General Elections to Tripura State Legislative Assembly 2023.

The team comprised of Dharmendra Sharma, IAS, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, Nitesh Vyas, IAS Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, Ashok Kumar, Director (IT), Yashvendra Singh, Director (Expenditure), Sanjeev Kumar Prasad, Secretary (Planning), Santosh Kumar Dubey, Secretary (NES) and Vijay Gupta, Section Officer (NES). The ECI team along with Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Tripura Kiran Gitte held a review meeting on election preparedness with all 8 District Election Officers & 8 District Superintendents of Police on November 22, 2022.

All key thematic issues covering Electoral Roll Health, Special Summary Revision, EVM/VVPAT, polling stations, Assured Minimum Facilities at polling stations, manpower management, transportation, Law & Order, security, SVEEP, complaint management, training & capacity building were discussed in detail and feedback was taken from the districts.

The ECI team instructed DMs and SPs to give more attention to these areas so as to improve the preparedness for holding Assembly Elections. In the evening, meeting was held with various enforcement agencies including Income Tax, Excise, Reserve Bank of India, Department of Revenue (Customs Division), BSF, CRPF, Assam Rifles, Narcotic Control Bureau, CASO/CISF, Railway Protection Force, Department of Post, Central GST, State GST, State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC), Airport Authority of India, and Enforcement Directorate to improve the vigil on suspect expenditures, payments and transportation of goods. On November 23, 2022, the ECI team reviewed the efforts of various State Government departments Revenue, Home, Education, Power, PWD/DWS, Social Welfare, Urban Development, Health, Transport, Rural Development to support the preparedness for holding Assembly Elections.

These issues were discussed in presence of the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police.