Bhubaneswar: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has deployed 75 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the State for the upcoming simultaneous election in the State.
IG of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Archana Shivhare has been appointed as state force coordinator by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Speaking to media persons here today, the IG said the CAPFs deployed for smooth conduction of the election in the state including in the Naxal-affected areas.
She said that 35 companies of CRPF, another 35 companies of Border Security Force (BSF) and five companies of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) have been deployed in Odisha in two phases—on March 1 and March 7.
“The central paramilitary forces have been deployed in the sensitive, hyper-sensitive districts, from an election point of view,” she said.
As per the joint decision of ECI and state government, the central forces are conducting area dominating exercises including patrolling and flag march in the Maoist-affected areas and other sensitive areas to instill a sense of confidence among the general public, the IG informed.
“We are continuously coordinating with the state police regarding elections at all the sensitive and hyper sensitive places of the state. Central security forces and state police forces working together to ensure peaceful elections in all areas of the state,” Shrimati Shivhare said.
The paramilitary forces will also be deployed at the inter-state and inter-district border check posts to be set up in the state, she added.
Meanwhile, the ECI has organized an important meeting-cum-training session of the election observers to conduct the upcoming General Election-2024 process in a free, fair and impartial manner.
Different election observers from Odisha participated in the meeting at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer through virtual medium.
All these observers to be deployed in the upcoming general elections-2024 were trained by the Election Commission of India on all aspects of the electoral process.
The important role observers will play in the election process was discussed in detail. The different challenges that would be faced by the election observers at the grass root level during the poll were dealt in detail too. There was a discussion on how they would bring all those matters to the attention of the Commission as per the rules.
In the final phase of the meeting Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar addressed all the election observers. Discussing a free, fair, impartial and absolutely error free election process the Chief Election Commissioner emphasized on the critical role of election observers in the process.
The CEC touched upon subjects like the EVM, VVPAT, polling booth, postal ballot, law and order situations and many other poll related issues.
The CEC opined, “Indian democracy is the largest democracy in the world and free, fair and impartial elections are the strength of Indian democracy. The world is watching the election process. With a sense of this, all the observers are expected to perform their duties with utmost responsibility.
The meeting was attended by Chief Electoral Officer Nikunja Bihari Dhal, Additional Chief Electoral Officer N Thirumala Naik, Satrughna Kar, Mihir Mohanty and various election observers from the State.