Chandigarh, March 19 : Punjab’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Sibin C, today held a press conference regarding the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 at his office in sector 17. On this occasion, he expressed the commitment of his office to implement the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in letter and spirit in the state so as to ensure free, fair and transparent elections. Divulging details, he pointed out that 24,433 Wall Writings, 15,653 Posters, 7,511 Banners and 23,916 Defacements on Property have been removed across the state from March 16 to March 18, 2024.
He emphasized that to prevent the misuse of muscle and money power, elaborate efforts have been undertaken. Replying to a query, he said 25 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed and additional deployments would be made based on threat assessment. A robust seizure management system has been implemented, resulting in seizures worth 113.45 crores since 1st March, 2024, he added.
He further said that 119 complaints have been received via C-Vigil, with 86 found valid and addressed. CCTV cameras have been installed at inter-state checkpoints, and flying squads equipped with necessary tools have been deployed at inter-district checkpoints.
Sibin C noted that out of 24,433 polling stations in the state, 2,416 have been identified as critical till now, warranting additional security measures. CCTV installation and centralized monitoring will be implemented across all polling stations. Efforts will also focus on increasing voter turnout, particularly at around 12,000 polling stations where voter turnout was lower than the national and state averages in Lok Sabha Elections 2019, so that the objective of ‘Is Vaar 70 Paar’ can be achieved.
– Underscores 15,653 Posters and 7,511 Banners removed across the state after implementation of MCC
– Seizures including Cash and Narcotics worth 113.45 crores since 1st March
He added that the District Election Officers-cum-Deputy Commissioner have been directed to ensure Drinking Water, Toilets, Signage, Ramp/Wheelchair, Helpdesk, Voter Facilitation Centre, sufficient Light and Shed facilities at the Polling Stations.
He stated that as on March 1, 2024, Punjab has a total of 2,12,71,246 voters. Efforts have been made to purify the electoral rolls by deleting demographic and photographic similar entries during Special Summary Revision of electoral roll to prevent duplications. Regular meetings have been held with political parties at every stage of electoral roll updating, providing them with opportunities to raise objections.
During the media interaction, Sibin C emphasized the pivotal role of the media in acting as the eyes and ears of the Election Commission, crucial for conducting elections in a free and fair manner. He expressed the office’s commitment to actively engage with the media to receive as well as to disseminate critical information to the public.