GUWAHATI, March 28 - For the first time in the history of elections in the country, the common man is now empowered to lodge an instant complaint about any election model code of conduct violation directly to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The State has already witnessed registration of more than 600 cases of violation of the model code of conduct, thanks to the cVIGIL mobile app that was recently launched by ECI.
The app, which anyone can download from the Google Play Store, was activated in Assam from the day of issuing notification for the first phase of polls, an official of the State election department informed The Assam Tribune.
With the help of cVIGIL, which is an innovative mobile application for citizens to report model code of conduct and expenditure violations during the elections and stands for vigilant citizens and emphasises on the proactive and responsible role which all citizens can play in the conduct of free and fair elections, the Election Commission aims to create a fast-track complaint reception and redressal system.
According to the Election Commission, it is a user-friendly app and easy to operate, which can be used for reporting violations from the date of notifications for byelection, assembly and parliamentary elections.
The uniqueness of the app is that it allows live photo or video with auto location capture from within the app to ensure digital evidence for flying squads to act upon in a time-bound manner.
�The app can be installed and used on any Android (Jellybean and above) smartphone equipped with a camera, good internet connection, and GPS access. By using this app, citizens can immediately report on incidents of political misconduct within minutes of having witnessed them and without having to rush to the office of the returning officer. cVIGIL connects vigilant citizens with the district control room, returning officer, flying squads and static surveillance teams, thereby, creating a rapid and accurate reporting, action and monitoring system,� the Election Commission website says.
�The public response to the app is very good. But in some instance, some people also used it to report false cases. Moreover, in all genuine cases, our team located in every district used to respond within a short period of time,� the official said.
Meanwhile, the Kamrup (Metro) district administration has removed altogether 2,916 hoardings, 6,559 posters, 2,519 banners and 1,307 wall writings in Guwahati since March 11 to stop violation of the model code of conduct.
According to an official of the district administration, altogether 12 flying squads and 12 static surveillance teams along with video surveillance teams have been working across the city to maintain the model code of conduct.
In Guwahati, there will be altogether 60 all-women polling stations, including eight model polling stations to be set up by the election department for the upcoming election. The final list of those polling stations will be published soon.
�In model polling stations, there will be special facilities for women, children and senior citizens. The facilities include drinking water, baby feeding room, and rest room along with a welcoming team. We will select those polling stations among the all-women polling stations,� said Jimlee Saikia Kakoty, District Election Officer, Kamrup (Metro).
She added that a majority of the all-women polling stations would be under Dispur and East Guwahati assembly constituencies.
