Visakhapatnam District gears up for the second phase of panchayat elections

The second phase of panchayat elections will be held in the Narsipatnam division of the district from 13 February, said Visakhapatnam Collector, V Vinay Chand. On Thursday, a review meeting was held the Collector said that the district administration will ensure smooth and fair conduct of elections.

Noting that the first phase of elections in the Anakapalle Revenue division was successfully completed, Mr Chand directed the Zonal Officers to handle the electoral process in the upcoming phase in the same manner. The Visakhapatnam District Collector further asked the Mandal Parishad Development Officers (MPDOs), Tehsildars, and Special Officers to share the responsibility of administration and work together with coordination. Shedding light on the importance of providing basic amenities, Mr Chand ordered the concerned authorities to facilitate accommodation and food to the electoral staff. He also suggested equipping the polling booths with the required equipment and other supplies.

Speaking about the measures to be taken during the elections, the Visakhapatnam District Collector has instructed the staff to commence the polling process at the scheduled time and arrange requisite counting halls. Mr Vinay Chand said that they must be prepared well and make all arrangements for the counting since it takes off immediately after polling. He asked the staff to go through the handbooks and election material thoroughly and ensure day-to-day reports of the elections following the instructions of the State Election Commission (SEC).

He further added that strict action should be taken in case of experiencing unwarranted situations during the panchayat elections in Visakhapatnam. The staff was told to hand over the ballot papers, covers, and other supplies to the nearest sub-treasury office after the polling. Visakhapatnam Joint Collector M Venu Gopal Reddy, Visakhapatnam JC, P Arun Babu, R Govinda Rao, ZP CEO, Nagarjuna Sagar, DPO Krishna Kumari, and other officials were present at the meeting.