C.V. Anand addresses Nodal Officers of 5 Poll going States on Election Management

Hyderabad, Jan 8 (Maxim News): The Election Commission of India invited the Civil Supplies Commissioner & E.O. Principal Secretary of Telangana Mr C.V. Anand here today to address the nodal election related officers of the 5 Poll going States Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur.

The elections are to be held in February 11th – March 8th, 2017 in several phases. From each State, 5 State level Nodal Officers including the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), the ADG/IG L&O, the Banking Nodal Officer, Excise Nodal officer, were present.

At the Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi, after the inaugural address by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr. Nasim Zaidi and two Election Commissioners Mr. Achala Kumar Joti and Mr. Om Prakash Rawat, in their presence, Mr. Anand spoke on the topic “Expenditure Control, Collection of Intelligence and Coordination of various Agencies”.

He gave recent examples and case studies and issues from the Tamil Nadu elections where he was special Observer and also from Cyberabad in the 2014 General Elections, for which Mr. Anand had received the National Award for Best Performance in the Country on expenditure control.

Several systems introduced by Mr. Anand like fitting GPS on all election related vehicles of the State Surveillance Teams and Flying Squads, starting of joint control rooms to monitor them, Tracking of bank accounts and suspicious bank and ATM transfer and transactions, transport of cash and goods by Air, Helicopters, trains and buses and vehicles., and gold loans auctions, accounts of NGOs / Self Help Groups, Techniques to develop informants and intelligence, tracking the production of liquor breweries and wine shops etc have now become an integral part of Election Management after 2014 General Elections in Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Assam.

He told the Election Officers on the need to use the social media, especially WhatsApp, gainfully for conduct of elections and get valuable feedback from public. He explained the checklist which the ECI will be asking and verifying in the field.

The session went on for the whole day and the feedback on the poll preparedness of the 5 Polling going States and its officers was also taken and assessed by the ECI and necessary instructions given in the light of the poll dates and schedule having been announced by the ECI. (Maxim News)