SEC for action against criminals before civic polls
The state election commission (SEC) has asked the administration to arrest all the history sheeters, wanted and absconding criminals besides executing the pending non-bailable warrants at the earliest to ensure free and fair local urban body polls to be held in Uttar Pradesh in June-July.
The commission issued instructions in this regard in a meeting of officers of the Lucknow zone comprising several districts to review poll preparedness and law and order situation. Among those present at the meeting included the DGP, IGs, DMs and SSPs.
Giving this information at a press conference after the meeting, state election commissioner SK Agrawal said the commission had also asked the officers to send to jail all the accused facing charges of committing heinous crime like murder and rape and complete pending investigations.
Claiming the commission was committed to holding free and fair elections, he regretted that no adequate action had been taken against the criminals so far.
In the Lucknow zone alone, there were 2294 cases of Goonda Act but action was taken only in 245 cases in April, it was revealed during the meeting that. Similarly, only 8 of the 14500 history sheeters had been booked under the Gangster Act in the zone.
“We insisted that action in all such cases be speeded up for a better law and order climate before the civic polls,” Agarwal said.
Agrawal said the commission would also arrange centralized webcasting of the most sensitive booths to monitor things from his office here.
He said officers had been asked to subject the poll duty staff to a riot drill and make it mandatory for them to wear protective gears during the voting.
Replying to a question, he said said poll preparations were going on as per the schedule and the commission might issue the poll notification by May end or in the first week of June.
In Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Varanasi the commission would use EVMs manufactured between 2006-2012 while pre2006 EVMs would be used in rest of the nagar nigams, he said.