Imphal, March 26 2009: To ensure that law and order situation is conduciv e towards ensuring conduct of peaceful, free and fair poll during the forthcoming Lok Sabha election, the Election Commission of India has issued a series of instructions to all the Chief Secretaries and the Chief Election Officers of the States and the Union Territories.

Issuing these instructions, Under Secretary of the Commission Sumit Mukherjee said being deeply aware of the increasingly vitiative role of criminality and muscle power at elections, the Commission has been taking and directing the taking of a number of measures over and above the purview of normal law and order arrangements for augmenting the possibilities of peaceful, free and fair poll.

However, these extra measures taken by the Commission cannot absolve the normal law and order outfit of the State from taking such preparatory steps as are necessary for generation of an atmosphere conducive to the conduct of peace, free and fair poll during the run up period to the election.

So it is indispensable to tighten the local law and order outfit and enforce with adequate strictness the day to day criminal administration.

In this regard, the Commission has directed the States and the Union Territories to launch a series of special drives in connection with listing of such persons are reported to have indulges in electoral offences, update the list of history sheeters, to effect the service of pending warrants and expedite the investigation/prosecution of all electoral offences registered in previous elections in each police station of each and every Parliamentary Constituency.

A fortnightly report of the same have also been asked to be made available to the District Election Officer and Returning Officer concerned so as to be forwarded to the Commission, if and when asked for.

The Commission directed that strict vigil should be maintained by thorough checking of vehicles from three days before the date of polling to ensure that no undesirable elements or arms and ammunition are being transported into the Constituency from outside.

To ensure an atmosphere in which each and every elector is able to access the polling stations without being obstructed or being unduly influence by anybody, the Commission explained that any direct or indirect interference or attempt to interfere on the free exercise of electoral right of the voter is define as a corrupt practice under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. If any complaint is received or information gathered from any sources about obstruction/threat to any voter the same should be inquired into by the local administration without any delay, the Commission instructed.

The Chief Secretaries have also been asked to arrange for compilation of daily law and order report from each district for its transmission to the CEO.

However, the district authorities should not send this report directly to the CEO, the Commission noted.

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