TIRUPATI: State Election Commissioner (SEC) Anil Chandra Punetha has said candidates facing threat or apprehending attacks while filing nominations for the panchayat polls will be provided special police escort, if required.
Speaking after holding a high-level review meeting on arrangements for panchayat polls at the Tirupati Collectorate, along with IG B Rajakumari and District Collector S Venkateswarlu, on Saturday, the SEC said, “Candidates who require special police escort while submitting their nominations will be provided the facility. If candidates inform the Superintendent of Police concerned about a threat, special security will be provided to them."
Be more vigilant, SEC tells SPs of 12 sensitive dists
Referring to incidents of violence during the recent Urban Local Body and MPTC and ZPTC elections, Punetha said clashes had been reported in some areas stretching from Palnadu to Rayalaseema. Hence, the Election Commission had held separate discussions with the SPs of 12 sensitive districts, and instructed them to remain more vigilant during the panchayat polls.
SPs of Chittoor, Annamayya, Kadapa and Tirupati districts attended the meeting in person, while officials from other districts, including Nellore, Nandyal and Prakasam, participated virtually.
During the review, the SEC discussed precautionary measures to prevent law and order problems during the three-phase panchayat polls, including village-level security, CCTV surveillance and the safe custody of ballot boxes in strong rooms.
Punetha said the Election Commission was fully prepared to conduct the panchayat polls in a free and fair manner without giving scope for any intimidation. He directed officials to ensure that voters could exercise their franchise without any inconvenience at polling stations. If candidates faced difficulty in filing nominations, special counters should be set up at Collectorates under the direct supervision of District Collectors. He cited Tirupati district as a model, where such counters were set up during the MPTC and ZPTC elections. Additional police force would be deployed in trouble-prone areas, if required, based on reports from district election authorities, he said.
“We have been making preparations for the past five months in consultation with senior officials of the Panchayat Raj and Municipal Administration departments, Collectors, SPs, Zilla Parishad CEOs and District Panchayat Officers. A comprehensive plan has been drawn up for the smooth conduct of local body elections,” the SEC said.
