For conducting free and fair lok Sabha polls, the District Election Officer and District Magistrate VBRC Purushottam chaired a meeting of all the Assistant Returning Officer (ARO’s) and police officers of the district at the Collectorate here on Sunday.

During the meeting, Purushottam asked all the officers to ensure that the Model Code of Conduct and Section-144 are not violated, and advised them to immediately issue notices on the incidences of any violation of code of conduct. He also told them that if the parties and individuals concerned failed to answer to the notice, an FIR should be immediately lodged against them.

Purushottam also reminded them that election officials should not work under any political pressure and peruse their duties in an impartial manner. He asked the officials to conduct video recordings of the all political activities, including processions, roadshows and election meetings in their areas. He advised that the permissions for the roadshows and election meetings should be obtained both in writing and telephonically and the political parties should ensure that their activities would not disturb the traffic of the city.

He also expressed his unhappiness at the failure of AROs to prevent incidences of dharnas and other activities despite the enforcement of Section-144 in the city.  Purushottam asked all circle officers of police and ADMs to extensively tour their areas. The District Election Officer said that all the persons with criminal past should be immediately listed and action should be taken against playing loud DJ’s in night.

The Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Rautela asked all the police officers to increase the patrolling in the sensitive locations of their areas. He said that the data of every policeman associated with the election duties should be maintained so that they exercise their voting rights. In the meeting Chief Development Officer (CDO) A K Pandey, Additional District Magistrates (ADMs) Sonika and Pratap Sah and senior police officials were present.