Forty-two awareness observers to monitor assembly polls

New Delhi, Oct 9:As assured, the

has appointed 42 awareness

for the assembly polls in the five states that will have Assembly Elections in the coming few months. While majority of them have been posted in Madhya Pradesh, 11 have been posted in Rajasthan, Mizoram has two and Delhi has three.

These officials are responsible to keep an eye on the free and fair election process, while pursuing awareness programs to make the voters familiar with the do's and the dont's of the elections. As additional responsibility, they have to keep a check on paid news and also help in increasing the voter's turnout.

Given training on their roles and responsibilities, the observers will be deployed in two phases, each for seven days, before the elections. Overseeing the electoral process for three districts, each observer will take care of the information, the motivation and the facilitation of voters by the EC.

The first phase of deployment will take place a week before the notification and the second phase of deployment would take place a week before the elections. Monitoring various media-related aspects of the Representation of People Act 1951, the observers will also have to check the problems of 'Paid News'.

They have to further co-ordinate with the district electoral officers and discuss the problems with them, apart from the SVEEP nodal officers and the district SVEEP Committees.

OneIndia News