ECI team reviews poll preparedness in Assam

A team of senior officials ofthe Election Commission of India, headed by its DirectorGeneral Dharmendra Sharma, visited Assam to review thepreparedness for the forthcoming assembly elections in thestate.

Sharma was accompanied by ECI's Senior PrincipalSecretary Narendra N Butolia and Secretary Ajoy Kumar Verma,an official release said on Tuesday.

The team reviewed the follow-up action taken after thechief election commissioner's visit to the state from January18 to 20.

It assessed the progress made on the provision ofAssured Minimum Facilities (AMF) at polling stations, creationof auxiliary polling stations and targetted Systematic Voters'Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) activities,especially for low voter turnout polling stations.

The team also focussed on facilitating voting ofPeople with Disabilities and elderly persons above the age of80 years by maintaining COVID-19 protocol.

The members stressed vulnerability mapping, trainingof personnel and ICT platforms, formation and functioning ofelection cells at the district level, electoral roll updateand assessment of the law and order situation.

The ECI team arrived in the state on Sunday eveningand visited some polling stations in Nagaon and Kamrupdistricts on Monday morning.

They held a meeting with officials of 11 districts andheads of enforcement departments.

A video conference was held with deputy commissioners,superintendents of police and returning officers of theremaining 22 districts to evaluate the situation and pollpreparedness in these districts.

A meeting was also held with senior police and CRPFofficers to take stock of the prevalent law and ordersituation.

The three-day visit of the team concluded with ameeting with Chief Secretary Jishnu Baruah and secretaries ofdifferent departments of the state.

Election to the 126-member state assembly is due inMarch-April.