5 police observers to be deployed for Haryana polls: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath today said that for the first time, five police observers will be deployed in Haryana to ensure free, fair and clean polling in the state where election is due on October 15.
"Five police observers will be deployed in sensitive districts," he said here after reviewing poll arrangements.
He, however, did not mention the name of the districts.
The Commission would try to get maximum possible force from the Centre for the the polls.
"But how the available force is used is more important", he said.
Sampath was addressing a press conference shortly after holding meetings with political parties, chief secretary, home secretary, director general of police, deputy commissioners, superintendents of police, and other senior officers of the state government, here.

He expressed satisfaction with the preparedness made by the election machinery and said that the Commission was expecting more participation of electors in the polls.

The Commission has taken a major voter facilitation initiative according to which polling would start at 7 am and continue till 6 pm on the day of the poll, he said.
The Commission has issued directions that single-window system should be made functional to issue permission for holding rallies by parties and others. Vulnerability mapping will be done and sensitive and hyper-sensitive polling booths are being identified after taking inputs from candidates, he said.
Also, voter slips would be distributed ahead of the poll day, he said.

Sampath said it had also been decided to promote and monitor turnout of postal ballots among the staff and security personnel.
Directions have been issued for a vigorous campaign to ensure higher voter turn-out which may be more than 80 per cent.
SVEEP (Systematic Voters' Education And Electoral Participation) programme would be strengthened and basic minimum facilities improved at polling stations to facilitate the voters, he said.