CHANDIGARH: Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath on Saturday said that for the first time, five Police Observers will be deployed in Haryana to ensure free and fair polls.
According to the CEC, the Centre will be asked to provide the maximum number of security personnel for the October 15 Assembly elections. But how the available force is utilised will prove crucial, Sampath said.
He expressed satisfaction with the preparations being made for the polls and said the EC was expecting a good voter turnout . As part of the voter facilitation initiative undertaken by the Commission, the polls will open at 7 am and voting will continue till 6pm. The EC has issued directions that the single-window system should be made functional to issue permission to the voters to cast their votes.
Vulnerability mapping will also be done and sensitive and hyper-sensitive polling booths are being identified on the basis of the inputs from candidates. Also, voter slips would be distributed ahead of the poll day.
Sampath said it had been decided to promote the use of postal ballots among the staff and security personnel. He said that the Commission had also streamlined the procedure for postal ballots. The SVEEP programme would be strengthened and basic minimum facilities improved at polling stations to facilitate voting.
The CEC said the officers concerned had been directed to ensure enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct. Cash amounting to `1.67 crore, 26,723.04 litres of liquor worth `6 crore, and 4,897 kg of drugs like poppy husk have been seized in the state so far.