POONCH: The General Election Observer for the 88-Surankote and 89-Haveli Assembly constituencies, Solai Bharathi Dasan, along with District Election Officer (DEO) Vikas Kundal conducted an extensive inspection of the Strong Rooms and Election cells in both Surankote and Haveli Assembly Constituencies to assess preparedness for the upcoming Assembly elections.
During the visit, DEO Vikas Kundal, provided a comprehensive briefing to the observer, covering all essential aspects for successful elections. The observer stressed the importance of a well-structured election management plan, including delivering Assured Minimum Facilities at all polling stations as mandated by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The need for effective voter facilitation through booth-level counters was also underscored.
They inspected Key facilities, including road access, water, ramps, power supply, and security arrangements. Special focus was given to equipping critical polling stations to handle the voting process smoothly. The observer also visited the 24×7 Integrated Election Control Room at the District Election Office, the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) and the Media Cell, which operates round the clock to manage various aspects of the electoral process and provide relevant information to the electorate.
Earlier, a meeting was held with the Returning Officers (RO) for Surankote and Haveli (Poonch) Assembly constituencies, and other Election Officers, where the observer emphasized strict adherence to ECI guidelines and the importance of following election protocols meticulously.
DEO Poonch, Vikas Kundal, revealed that the District Election Authority has completed all preparatory works to ensure a smooth election process. He announced the establishment of several special Pink and Green polling stations and confirmed that the required personnel, including presiding officers and Micro Observers have been appointed for 151 polling stations in the Surankote constituency and 190 in Haveli.
A total of 113,572 voters, comprising 58,510 male and 55,062 female voters, have been registered in the Surankote Assembly constituency, while 129,122 voters which include 65,943 male and 63,179 female have been registered in the Haveli Assembly Constituency.