Punjab’s Chief Electoral Officer Sibin. C has 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. Addressing a press conference regarding the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 at his office in Chandigarh today, he emphasized that to prevent the misuse of muscle and money power, elaborate efforts have been undertaken.

Akashwani correspondent reports 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. 24,433 Wall Writings, 15,653 Posters, 7,511 Banners and 23,916 writings on property have been removed across the state from March 16 to March 18.

Meanwhile our Jalandhar Correspondent reports that ECI, on the basis of a complaint, has directed to transfer Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner, Vishesh Sarangal. The letter issued in this regard, specifies that he should be transferred from present posting to some other place not in his home district. Also, it must be ensured that the officer should be transferred out of the district and is not posted within the same parliamentary constituency. 

Similarly, ADGP of Ropar Range, Jaskaran Singh, and DIG of Border Range, Narinder Bhargav, have been directed to be transferred. These two officers have also been asked to be transferred out of the district and not posted within the same parliamentary constituency. The officers mentioned are going to retire in this April and June respectively. The Commission has demanded panels of 3 names for all these postings, from whom new posting would be done.