PATNA: The Election Commission sources on Wednesday said that all necessary preparations are in full swing to conduct the assembly election in Bihar on time. The sources further said that the state ECI officials are holding meetings with agencies, ministries, state and district level officers in this regard.
The state election commission of Bihar had last month given its nod for holding elections to the 243-member state assembly, scheduled for later this year.
Bihar’s chief electoral officer HR Srinivas held meetings with district officials in June to assess the state’s preparations for the elections amid the pandemic and issued directives regarding requisition of electronic voting machines, physical verification of booths and electoral rolls.
Ahead of the assembly polls, the Election Commission (EC) had directed the Bihar government to reshuffle the administrative set-up by transferring election-related officials who have completed three years in a particular district or will be completing a three-year term on or before October 31.
The directive relates to district election officers/returning officers/assistant returning officers, police officers at the level of IG/ DIGs/ SSPs/SPs and SDPOs and police inspectors/sub-inspectors. On the administrative side, ADMs , SDMs, deputy collectors and BDOs are covered.
In a letter to Bihar chief secretary on Tuesday, the EC has said the no official engaged in election work would be posted in their home district. It has also underlined that officials against whom the poll panel has recommended disciplinary action in the past or those who have been charged for any lapse in election-related work in the past should be kept away from work in the conduct of the polls.
Besides, the officers scheduled to retire in the next six months have also been asked to be kept away from election duty.
The poll panel also started a training programme for the election staff.
