Bihar polls: ECI holds meet of enforcement agencies to combat movement of cash, liquor and drugs
New Delhi, Oct 17
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday held a meeting with heads of various enforcement agencies to prepare a multi-pronged strategy for the smooth and fair conduct of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
The meeting, presided over by CEC Gyanesh Kumar, saw heads of several departments participating and sharing their inputs, suggestions and feedback for making the polling process robust and foolproof.
Bihar Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) also joined the meeting along with the state's Chief Electoral Officer via video conference.
Deliberations took place on combating the movement of cash, liquor, drugs, and other inducements to influence voters ahead of the elections and also containing the menace of fake news, which has the potential to derail the course of elections.
The committee discussed a wide range of matters, including curbing the covert expenditure by candidates and political parties, intelligence sharing and co-operation amongst the law enforcement agencies for effective action against any financial misconduct.
The committee also deliberated on the measures to check transportation of smuggled goods, drugs, liquor and cash, including fake currency, through inter-state borders and international borders.
At least 17 departments participated in the high-profile meeting, which included CBDT, CBIC, ED, DRI, CEIB, FIU-IND, RBI, IBA, NCB, RPF, CISF, BSF, CRPF, SSB, BCAS, AAI and Department of Posts.
The poll panel has pulled out all stops to make the election procedure comfortable and convenient for all sections of people and also expand the scope of the voter base.
It has issued detailed guidelines to make polling booths easily accessible and friendly for senior citizens, which include installation of polling booths on the ground floor, prioritising elderly citizens in voting, arrangement of wheelchairs for the especially-abled and more.
A couple of steps have also been undertaken to address the concerns regarding burqa-clad women, the issue which has left the political parties sparring over confirmation of their identity before casting ballots.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good to see ECI taking fake news seriously. Social media is flooded with misinformation during elections. Also appreciate the focus on making polling accessible for senior citizens and specially-abled voters. 👵♿
Meetings are good but implementation is what matters. In previous elections, we've seen these enforcement drives fail to curb illegal activities. Hope this time it's different. The involvement of 17 departments looks promising though.
The burqa-clad women issue needs careful handling. While voter identification is crucial, we must ensure it doesn't become a tool for discrimination. Balance between security and religious sensitivity is important.
Excellent move! The multi-agency coordination is exactly what we need. When ED, NCB, BSF all work together, it becomes difficult for politicians to use black money and drugs to influence voters. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
As a Bihar resident, I've seen how liquor and cash flow increases before elections. Hope this time the common people get to vote without any inducements. Democracy should be about development, not freebies.
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