SAMANA/PATRAN / RAJPURA / NABHA / PATIALA: Voting for the Municipal Councils Rajpura, Nabha, Samana and Patran to be held on February 14 in Patiala district in a fair, smooth and independent manner. This was stated by Mr. Kumar Amit, District Electoral Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Patiala while taking stock of last day arrangements at Samana nas Patran. He also reviewed the process of dispatch of polling parties, handing over of EVM machines and other election materials.
Briefing the media, Mr. Kumar Amit said that all the arrangements for the elections have been completed as per the instructions of the State Election Commission. Foolproof security arrangements have been made under the leadership of SSP Vikram Jeet Duggal, adding that adequate security and other arrangements have been made for the sensitive and highly sensitive polling stations as per the guidelines laid by the State Election Commission. He called upon the people to come forward and exercise their democratic right and vote without any fear.
Mr. Kumar Amit further said that though adequate arrangements have been made by the polling staff for the prevention of COVID-19 epidemic but voters must also use masks and keep a proper distance from each other to protect themselves from this pandemic disease. He was accompanied by SP City Patiala Varun Sharma.
Meanwhile at Rajpura, Additional District Electoral Officer-cum-Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Dr. Preeti Yadav reviewed the dispatch of polling staff. She was accompanied by SDM Patiala-cum-Returning Officer Rajpura Charanjit Singh, SP (D) Harmeet Singh Hundal.
While dispatching the polling staff at Samana, SDM Naman Markan and DSP Jaswant Singh Mangat were present. Besides, the AMD of PRTC Nitish Singla and DSP Bharpur Singh were present at Niyal College Patran While dispatching the polling staff for Patran Municipal Council elections and at Nabha, SDM Kala Ram kansal and DSP Rajesh Chhibber were present at the time of dispatch of polling parties.
Mr. Kumar Amit said that the polling would be held on February 14 from 08.00 am to 04:00 pm. The votes will be counted on February 17, 2021. He said that in order to conduct these elections in a fair, smooth and independent manner about 760 staff and officers have been deployed as polling staff while 544 members of polling staff have been kept as reserve staff. In addition, 59 officers have been posted as supervisors for close monitoring of the election process.
Meanwhile, SSP Mr. Vikram Jeet Duggal said that foolproof security arrangements have been made for these elections. He called upon the people to exercise their voting right without any fear or apprehension. Mr. Duggal said that adequate security forces have been deployed at the sensitive and hyper sensitive polling stations and no mischievous elements would be allowed to disrupt the election process.
It may be recalled that as many as 1, 97, 812 voters would exercise their voting right for 92 wards of four Municipal Councils in Patiala district, out of which 1, 03, 458 are male voters, 94, 334 are female voters and 20 belong to third gender, who will go to 190 polling booths to exercise their voting right to vote for 438 candidates.