Bangalore Urban District Election Officer (DEO) and BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana has constituted a number of committees to ensure fair polling in the three Lok Sabha constituencies coming under the jurisdiction of the civic agency.
The Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) Committee, under the chairmanship of Special Commissioner (Elections) K R Niranjan, will tackle problems in voter enrolment and is tasked with increasing voter turnout.
A Media Certification and Monitoring Committee has been set up and all the candidates should get prior approval from this committee on advertisements in the media. The committee, headed by Lakshminarayana, will also review media for paid news.
The Expenditure Monitoring Control Room Call Centre Committee will monitor the day-to-day expenditure of candidates and political parties. It will be headed by BBMP’s Public Relations Officer Shivasharanappa Khandre.
Apart from these, an Expenditure Monitoring Cell, comprising Income Tax, Central Excise and Accounts officials, will coordinate and direct teams to seize illicit items and disproportionate assets.
The DEO has also formed a team to monitor the implementation of the model code of conduct. This team will also act as the link between the additional DEOs.
Surrender Licenced Arms to Police
In view of Lok Sabha elections, City Police Commissioner Raghavendra H Auradkar on Tuesday issued directions to people to surrender private arms and ammunition.
Auradkar has directed people with licenced weapons to deposit them at the jurisdictional police stations before March 19. However, the direction is not applicable to weapons held by Central and State government departments, banks and gazetted officers.
Individuals seeking exemption from the order can request jurisdictional DCPs and the weapons can be taken back after the election code of conduct is revoked.