HimVani
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Anil Kumar Khachi today informed that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to deploy micro-observers at selected polling stations to ensure free and fair elections in the state.
Khachi said that all the District Election Officers (DCs) have been directed to obtain the list of gazetted Officers/officials of Government of India/central public sector undertaking and make appointment of such officers wherever necessary in consultation with the observers keeping in view the critical areas or polling stations. The Chief Electoral Officer said that on the polling day the observers would mock poll procedure, presence of polling agents and observance of ECI instructions and entry pass system, access to polling stations, proper identification of electors in accordance with ECI guidelines, identification and recording procedure for the absentee, shifted and duplicate voters, application of indelible ink, procedure of noting down particulars of electors in Register 17-A, secrecy of voting and conduct of polling agents.
Khachi said during the poll process, if the poll is being vitiated for any reasons, the micro-observers would immediately bring the same to the notice of general observers through any means of communications available. The micro-observers would submit the report to the general observers on the prescribed format devised by the Commission at the end of poll, he added.
