Elections: GPS in every sector officers’ vehicle; about 3 police observers in every district likely

KOLKATA: In a first, the vehicles of the sector officers associated with the state Assembly elections will be equipped with GPS-based applications this year.

The move will help the Election Commission to keep track of the movement of the sector officers and give necessary instructions for prompt addressing of any sort of disturbance during the polls. The Commission in a bid to make more effective use of the central force in the forthcoming election is mulling to depute at least three police observers in every district. The decision will be finalised after ECI's meeting with the four special observers on Thursday.

The special observers in Bengal include one special general observer Ajay V Nayek, two special police observers Vivek Dubey and Mrinal Kanti Das and one special expenditure observer B Murli Kumar. They are likely to come to the state on March 6.

“Last time during the elections we had introduced GPS application in the vehicles that moved with reserved EVMs on the day of the polls. The move had yielded good results. During the ensuing assembly election we will have GPS based application in the vehicles of the sector officers on the polling dates. The office of the CEO, DEO and the observers will be able to track these vehicles real time and give necessary directions for prompt intervention in addressing problem related to law and order, if any, “Sanjay Basu, Additional CEO said.

There were complaints from a section of voters regarding late intervention in areas that witnessed disturbance on the polling day during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The main job of a sector officer who is usually deployed in every block is to look after the deployment of state police and the central force and maintain liaison with the DEOs and the CEO office.

According to Commission sources nominations were filed by SUCI(C) candidates at three assembly constituencies (ACs) Saltora, Chhatna and Ranibandh in Bankura while three constituencies in East Midnapore- Patashpur, Khejuri and Egra received nomination from other registered parties.

All these constituencies are among the 30 ACs that will be going for polls on March 27 in the first phase.