Jammu, Mar 9: Election Commission of India officials will visit Jammu and Kashmir next week to review preparedness for the Lok Sabha elections, likely to be held in April-May.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with election commissioners, are scheduled to visit Jammu and Kashmir on March 12 and 13, officials said on Saturday.
They said the Election Commission of India (ECI) officials are likely to meet various stakeholders, including representatives of political parties and the civil and the police administration in both divisions during the visit.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo held a meeting with the civil and the police administration on Saturday to sensitise them about the measures to be taken for smooth conduct of the Lok Sabha polls in the Union Territory.
The chief secretary asserted that the administration’s objective is to ensure free and fair elections with large-scale public participation, a spokesperson said.
Dulloo impressed upon the divisional and the district administration to take all necessary measures to ensure that people do not face any hardships in exercising their democratic rights.
The spokesperson said the chief secretary took up department-wise issues and enquired from the officials concerned about the measures they had taken in compliance with the ECI directions.
He asked each of them to use the time before the elections efficiently to make these guidelines applicable on the ground.
Chief Electoral Officer PK Pole informed the meeting about the initiatives to be taken by different departments.
He said electoral literacy campaigns in educational institutions will be held in the coming days, besides designating campus ambassadors in colleges and universities, the spokesperson said.
Pole said each polling station should have facilities such as toilets, ramps, power, drinking water and furniture in accordance with the ECI’s guidelines.
The meeting also discussed connectivity issues in polling stations and approach roads, in addition to transport and other amenities to be made available for transportation of electoral machinery and staff during the elections across the Union Territory, the spokesperson said.–(PTI)
