ELECTION PREPARATIONS INTENSIFIED IN PATNA

ELECTION PREPARATIONS INTENSIFIED IN PATNA

20-SEP-ENG 9

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA-----------------------Preparations to ensure fair and transparent Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 have intensified. The district administration conducted special training for officials from the Flying Squad, Static Surveillance Team, Video Surveillance Team, and Video Viewing Team at the Sri Krishna Memorial Hall in Patna on Friday. District Magistrate Dr. Tyagarajan S.M. stated, "Conducting free, fair, and participatory elections is the administration's top priority, and to achieve this, every officer must play a vigilant, impartial, and responsible role."

During the training session, the District Magistrate briefed all officers on key points related to the code of conduct, expenditure monitoring, and law and order. He stated that each officer is a representative of the Election Commission of India and will work under the Commission until the election results are declared. He clearly warned that any attempt to induce or intimidate voters will face strict action. "Your impartiality must be evident not only in your work, but also among the public," he emphasized.

The District Magistrate stated that 49 flying squads and 183 static surveillance teams have been formed for the 14 assembly constituencies in Patna district, which will monitor 61 checkpoints in three shifts. Additionally, 42 video surveillance teams and 42 video viewing teams will be continuously active. These teams will keep a close watch on the distribution of cash, liquor, illegal weapons, or any type of bribe. He stated that if any suspicious activity is detected, immediate action will be taken and a report will be submitted.

The District Magistrate explained the responsibilities of the flying squads in detail. These teams will play a crucial role in preventing excessive expenditure, illegal weapons, and the movement of narcotics during election campaigns. Public address systems installed on flying squad vehicles will warn people that giving or receiving bribes is a punishable offense under the Indian Penal Code. Similarly, static surveillance teams will check vehicles passing through designated checkpoints. If any vehicle is found carrying cash of ₹50,000 or more, or election material worth more than ₹10,000, it will be confiscated and legal action will be taken.

The meeting was informed that 24x7 teams will be active to monitor election expenditure. Thirty-two checkpoints/checkpoints have been identified in the district, and approximately 20 enforcement agencies will monitor money transactions, illegal liquor, counterfeit currency, and precious metals. Strict monitoring will also be maintained at 475 hotspots to ensure drug prohibition and peaceful voting. Security and surveillance will be strengthened by holding coordination meetings with officials from border districts.

Present at this training program were Deputy Development Commissioner Sameer Saurabh, Senior Nodal Officer R.R. Prabhakar, Senior Officer of the Training Cell Devendra Pratap Shahi, and Joint Commissioner of State Taxes Ram Prakash Sinha, along with several other senior officials. The program also provided detailed information on the Model Code of Conduct, e-SMS, C-Vigil, MCMC, and technical aspects related to voter awareness. The District Magistrate concluded by stating that every officer must discharge their duties with complete integrity and transparency to further strengthen public confidence in the voting process.