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In a stiff measure to ensure that the ensuing elections look non-partisan, the Election Commission has directed the security agencies not to enforce voter photo identity cards.
It has also asked the Jammu & Kashmir government to shift the deputy commissioner of the border district of Poonch, besides rescinding the transfer orders of 23 executive magistrates and 75 engineers of the public works department.
"The deputy commissioner, Poonch, was not implementing the instructions of the commission," state Chief Electoral Officer Pramod Jain told reporters in Srinagar on Friday, "and the discrepancies in the voter lists had not been removed."
He said the Election Commission had also asked the state government to rescind the transfer orders of 23 executive magistrates and 75 engineers issued after the model code of conduct came into force.
He said obtaining the photo identity cards was purely a voluntary scheme and nobody would be disallowed from voting simply because he did not have this card. "Instructions have been conveyed to the security forces not to insist on the VPIC while checking the identity of a person," he said, promising that there would be no harassment like in the past on this score.
Jain said holding an election in Jammu & Kashmir was a difficult task in view of the prevailing situation in the state. But the Centre has promised adequate security personnel and there was no reason for any concern, he added.
"The security personnel have started arriving in the state and will be deployed to instil confidence among voters," he said.
Jain assured all political parties that they would be provided with a level playing field and security for at least one office-bearer at the district level to ensure free movement and election campaigns.
The CEO said 1,000 more polling stations had been added in the state, taking the total to 7,025. Of these, 2,000 polling stations have been classified as hypersensitive and about 1,500 as sensitive.
For the first time in the country, computerized and updated voter slips are being delivered to voters at their doorstep, he pointed out. And to strengthen the polling machinery, about 4,000 officials will be drawn from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
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