SHILLONG, Jan 29: The state Election Department is fully prepared to conduct elections to the 60-member state legislature scheduled on February 27.
Speaking to The Shillong Times here on Sunday, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) FR Kharkongor said the department has sufficient manpower with more than 19,500 officials onboard.
He said that the department has a requirement of nearly 18,500 officials comprising presiding officers, first, second and third polling officials besides sector, zonal, micro observers and assistant expenditure officers.
According to Kharkongor, preparations are on in full swing in all 12 districts with training and randomisations set to commence this week.
Kharkongor said election officials are gearing up for the upcoming nomination process which will start after the notification on January 31 followed by scrutiny by the Returning Officers (ROs).
Meanwhile, the CEO informed that 40 companies of the central parliamentary forces have arrived in the state out of the 120 companies sought for.
The CEO also informed that they have sufficient EVMs comprising of BU, CU & VVPATs for all districts at the rate of more than 150 %.
Earlier, Kharkongor had informed that 747 polling booths are “vulnerable” and 399 polling booths have been identified as “critical” for various reasons.
The Election Commission of India has issued instructions for strict monitoring of the situation and deployment of adequate numbers of general observers, expenditure observers and police observers to curb the violation of the Model Code of Conduct across the state.
