NORTH LAKHIMPUR, March 14 - The Lakhimpur district administration has geared up for smooth conduct of the Lok Sabha polls scheduled in mid-April. The preparedness for conducting free-and-fair elections in the district was explained by Deputy Commissioner Dr Jeevan B at a press conference at the conference hall of Lakhimpur ZPC in North Lakhimpur on Tuesday.
Addressing the press conference, the Deputy Commissioner said that Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system attached to Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) will be introduced during the election in the district.
�To ensure transparency and clarity a slip would be generated in the system which would appear on the screen for seven seconds for the verification by the voter and then it would enter inside a sealed chamber of the machine automatically in printed forms�, the DC explained.
He further said that if there was any complaint on vote casting it would be verified at the time of counting of votes by checking the slips. The Lakhimpur DC, who is also the district returning officer, said that personnel of security forces engaged in polling duties could cast their votes through postal ballots which would be electronically transmitted.
He said that the administration had already taken steps to remove posters and hoardings of various political parties in the wake of promulgation of model code of conduct for the election. Three LAC segments of Lakhimpur district, including 110 Nowboicha, 111 Lakhimpur and 112 Dhakuwakhona will go to polls for the 14 Lakhimpur HPC on April 11.
It may be mentioned that another LAC of Lakhimpur � the 109 Bihpuria falls to Tezpur HPC. The newsmen were also briefed about the polling arrangements for the three LAC areas of Lakhimpur district. The three LACs have been divided into 14 polling zones and 110 sectors where 937 polling stations have been set up. Among the polling stations, 58 have been identified as complex ones while 165 polling centres have been marked as very sensitive and 245 as sensitive respectively. The district administration has arranged for the deployment of adequate security forces in those polling stations, the DC said.
The entire election process in the district would be monitored by 25 micro-observation systems. App- based services like voter helpline, code of conduct monitor, Subidha etc has also been arranged by the district administration for the polls, said the DC.
