GUWAHATI, March 4 � The Kamrup metropolitan district administration along with the police will implement specific plans to implement the model code of conduct on the run up to the Assembly polls. Four constituencies in the district will see voting take place on April 11.
Measures to ensure strict enforcement of the code of conduct will be taken through squads of government officials with adequate police support. Provisions will also be in place to check that no candidate can spend more than the Rs 16 lakh limit on election expenses.
This was informed by Kamrup Metro Deputy Commissioner, Ashutosh Agnihotri, in a press conference held in his office today, with the district SSP, Deepak Choudhury in attendance.
Candidates in the election would have to maintain a separate bank account, which will be used for all election related transactions. The account will be monitored to ensure that the candidate does not violate the model code of conduct in any manner.
Agnihotri mentioned that the date of notification will be on March 18, and last date for making nominations will be March 25, while last date for withdrawal of candidature will be March 28. Counting of votes takes place on May 13. The election process would have to be over by May 18.
He revealed that the total number of voters in the four constituencies - 51 Jalukbari East, 52 Dispur, 53 Gauhati East, and 54 Gauhati West - stands at 9,44,690 excluding D voters. The polls will take place in 1,068 polling stations manned by 4,948 polling personnel.
The total number of voters is 1,67,173 in Jalukbari LAC, 3,16,583 in Dispur, 2,22,484 in Gauhati East, and 2,38,450 in Gauhati West.
When asked, he stated that for the entire exercise, including use of human resource, and infrastructure, an amount in the region of Rs 2.25 crore will have to be spent.
Addressing the media, SSP Deepak Chaudhury revealed that security will be augmented to maintain the law and order situation, and additional forces will be available soon. There would be an extra 12 to 14 companies of Central police to further tighten the security net.
Apart from conducting a vulnerability mapping of some areas, the police has already identified sensitive and very sensitive polling stations which will have extra monitoring by uniformed personnel. He said 55 polling stations have been tagged as very sensitive, while 290 are in the sensitive category.
The police has started a drive to check the licenses of fire arms with civilians in the district and have decided that renewal requests will be considered only after the elections are over. Efforts are also continuing to search and locate illegal fire arms, which has of late become a matter of concern.
