sector/zonal magistrates taken to task by EC in UP

Lucknow, Apr 10 (UNI) The Election Commission today said sector and zonal magistrates engaged in the elections would be held responsible for any lapses related to late deployment of central forces in the polling booths.

The sector/zonal magistrates will have to inform the district magistrates by 1600 hours on the poll eve about the deployment of the central forces and in case of any delay they will be suspended immediately.

State additional CEO Devesh Chaturvedi here said the sector/zonal magistrates will ensure that all security forces reach the polling stations before the arrival of the polling parties and report it to the district election officer, who will in turn send his report to the commission by 1900 hrs.

In the first phase of polling on April 7, it was found in Etah that the central para-military forces did not arrive on time in some polling booths which resulted in confusion. Yesterday the EC also shifted the SSP of Etah for the same reason.

Mr Chaturvedi said, now the EC has also instructed the sector/ zonal magistrates to check into the reason behind low polling percentage in the early hours or personally visit the places from where the voters,in chunk, are not participating in the voting process.

''The main thrust of the EC will be to find out if these people have been threatened by anyone or whether there are some other reasons for their non-participation'', he said.

The Commission has also instructed the district authorities to plan their security force deployment strategy four to five days before the polling after consulting the central observers. Without the permission of the central observers no deployment plan can be changed under any circumstances, EC ordered.

UNI