AD Memoirs of CEO's Meet

AD-MEMOIRS OF CS & CEO MEETING on 19th FEB and CEO’s VC on 4th March
Model Code of Conduct
1. Model Code of Conduct – to be implemented by all BDO/ SDO /SP / RO / DM & DEO sincerely, impartially, effectively and efficiently
2. Responsibility of ensuring compliance of MCC lies with Police also.
3. No more leaving Headquarters without permission of CEO. NO visits to Kolkata and meeting any minister till elections are over
4. No officer related with election process should meet with any minister / political functionaries during his visit to your area.
5. No persons who are not authorized to have Red lights on their vehicles should have it. Political functionaries / ministers / MPs/ MLA are not allowed to use Red lights. No minister / political functionaries should be provided government vehicle. Only in case of Z+ category protectee govt. would provide bullet proof car.
6. Minster / Political functionaries not entitled for govt. guest houses. Only Z and above category protectee can get on payment and on equitable basis. But they cannot have any political meeting there. Observers to get first priority.
7. No wall writing on public buildings at all. In case of wall writing on a private building prior written permission of the owner shall be obtained without force or coercion and copy of the same shall be submitted to Local PS and RO / DM and shall be shown on demand. Wall writing shall be only of removable materials. In case any political party or candidate, person, organization does it, complaint shall be recorded in the register of complaints connected with MCC. The party or candidate should be asked in writing to remove it forthwith. In case they fail to do so within 3 days, a formal FIR shall be lodged in Police station under appropriate Act (Panchayat or Municipal Act). Law will take its own course. We are not going to wash or remove the defacement.
8. No educational institutions and hospitals ground ( private or government) can be used for meeting and campaigning by political parties / candidates. In case there is no alternative permission has to be obtained from CEO. In case of non-availability of such grounds where meetings can be held a consensus may be arrived for 1 or 2 grounds in a meeting with political parties and matter may be referred to DM and DEO with proper justifications and reasons for obtaining permission of CEO.till permission is received no meeting can take place.
9. No Minister / political functionaries can use / or is entitled for Pilot Car. Only if security requirement is there, police may provide escort car.
10. In case of any visit (private or personal) of a minister to your area , SDOs shall inform the same to DM.
11. Mass SMS having obnoxious contents, abusive, having communal overtones, violative of MCC send by candidates, political party or third party shall be monitored and looked into it. Police is supposed to publish / advertise a mobile no. on which such SMS can be forwarded saying from which no. it has been received. Sec 178 IPC is there to take care.
12. Special Model Code of Conduct Squads ( MCC squads) to be formed at block level. They shall have senior and impartial officer from block set up and a dedicated police officer from police station and a vehicle to move around. Functions – to enquire, ensure compliance and report into complaints of violations of MCC received at block level, SDOs level and ROs PC wise Complaint Monitoring Team and from the end of DM & DEO and SP. A proper register to be maintained for this purpose and action take also to be recorded. Notices to political party, candidate or person who is violating the MCC giving appropriate time ( depending on nature of violation) to comply ( e.g. for removal of wall writing – 3 days, for stopping mike – immediate) should be issued. In case of non-compliance they will also lodge formal FIR/ Complain with the concerned police station under provisions of IPC, CrPC, Panchayat Act, Municipal Act, etc. and Police station shall take appropriate steps.
13. Candidates cannot distribute gifts etc. Shirts having party symbols not allowed.

EPIC

1. 100 % EPIC coverage to be ensured. Please take all possible means and methods to achieve this and make a record of efforts by you. Analyse booth wise details and address the low EPIC coverage or high non-EPIC booths specifically. Meet BLO of these areas and address the issue. You should personally be aware for any poor performance, reasons and steps taken by you. Areas with high Missing Voters without family linkages to be checked.
2. If you are confident and can achieve 100% EPIC coverage by extending dates up to 13-14 March you can extend the dates with wide publicity and proper arrangements. Written proposal should reach us with commitment to achieve 100% EPIC coverage by that.

Law & Order

1. Take all the possible steps to avert any situation which may turn into a Law & Order problem. Take preventive arrangements.
2. This time regular uniform HG, Forest Guards and officers from fire department may be used in Police duty.
3. Orders prohibiting carrying of arms in the district have already been promulgated by DM. ask Police stations to enforce them.
4. Orders on printing posters, banners etc. have also been issued please serve them to printing presses in your areas also.
5. SP to send a daily report on law and order and poll related incidents.
6. Please do vulnerability mapping of polling stations under your areas based on the criteria of ECI already communicated to all of you. I am preparing and send all of you soft copy of FORM 20 ( 2006 and 2004 election) modified with respect to polling booths pertaining to booths after delimitation/ for present ACs. Some of the criteria for vulnerability mapping are (check detailed ECI circular) –
a) booths having poll percentage more than 75% and one candidate getting more than 75 %
b) high percentage of missing voters without family linkages
c) incidents of poll violence in last polls
d) high % of non-EPIC electors
e) information of voters from a para or a section of society / community / caste not being able to come and vote
f) high percentage of person who are known trouble mongers
7. all Central Police Force (CPF) to get actual deployment, they cannot be kept as striking reserve. If they are used as static booth guards, they can be made in charge of a cluster of vulnerable booths and they shall be mobile. See that who is directing them and see that they are not controlled by local police regarding their movements. They should be able to move freely on their own. Give them a map of the area and Depute one officer from your side to guide them and make them familiar with the area. CPF shall be used upto P-2 day in flag marches / route march in trouble prone or sensitive areas. Ensure that CPF is effective.
8. All arrangements (accommodation, vehicles, generators, tents, drinking water facilities, electricity connections etc.) related with Police and CPF shall be made by SP. BDOs / SDOS are not involved at all. NO election related fund ( Head - 2015) used for security purpose.
9. Deployment of police force shall be finalized by DM and DEO in consultation with SP and Senior most observer. Once finalized it can be changed only with approval of observer.
Postal Ballot / EDC
1. A proper and meticulous planning needs to made in this regards. Assessment , making available to eligible person including polling personnel, distribution and receipt shall be properly though out, planned and arranged so that no disruption or complaints take place.
Communication arrangement
1. 30 minute turnaround time for response to a complaint from any quarter (ECI/CEO / DM/ Candidates/ Observer/ DM office) – that means ECI wants that there should be a return response from the field within 30 minutes whenever a n information / complaint is passed to any quarter whether it is true or not? If true what action has been taken to address it and what is the situation?
2. All areas / Booths shall be covered by a telecommunication means ( landline / WLL/ Mobile). In case there is none it should be identified and communicated to DM by 5th March. IN case no phone has coverage attempts would be made to reach there by wireless network of police or by deploying a boat or special vehicle to collect information to nearest location having phone facilities. Even if needed satellite phones can be arranged. But information has to reach.
EVMs
1. EVMs are new and hi-tech. Please train yourself first well in all aspect of commissioning, conducting mock poll / poll and counting. Do it repeatedly and be sure. Ensure that the trainers are also well trained. During training ensure that polling personnel take training seriously. No one should suffer from the all know syndrome ( ami anek bar korechchi - ami sab jani). Take a certificate from trainers that they have learnt well and also from polling personnel that they have taken the training properly. District Training Cell is making a centarlised certificate for the trainers and polling personnel. DM/ ADM/SDO/ BDOs/ Sector officers all should get themselves properly trained.
2. Commissioning also shall be done properly and carefully. Every officer who is commissioning shall give a certificate at the end giving serial no.s of CU and BU which he has commissioned certifying that commissioning have been done properly and correctly and he shall be responsible for any lapse.

Polling Personnel

1. Names from all offices to be collected. All head of offices to certify that these lists are exhaustive and complete and no one has been left including head of office. Any officer / staff who is not sparable it shall be mentioned in the list with reasons thereof. SDOs to certify that they have collected the list of officers and staff from ALL offices under their jurisdiction and it is complete in all respect by 9th March 2009. SDOs should talk to defaulters personally.
2. All BDOs and SDOs shall send the list from their areas within 7th March 2009 without fail with a certificate that no office has been left. In case any office fails to submit the list BDO / SDO should talk to Head of office over phone. In case of non compliance by him his name and details with phone number should be send to the DM by 7th March. Exemption to be given by DM only on valid grounds on written prayers submitted through PP cell to DM. SDOs / BDOs to send all names of their offices and offices at block level and data shall be entered. SDOS / BDOS can then send the list of officers to be exempted with purpose for which they would be utilitsed. No direct approach to DM for exemption by polling personnel. They should apply to PP cell for exemption if totally unavoidable. Exemption on medical ground only through recommendation of medical board constituted for the purpose.
3. Data of all staff and offices to be entered. GR A and GR B central govt./ PSU employees to be used as micro observers. Gr D central govt. employee can be used.
P-2 day to Poll day
1. Camps / Booths of candidates outside polling booths shall be outside 200m radius. Sector officer shall mark this point on all roads leading to a booth on P-2 day after close of campaign period with a log, bricks, chuna etc. so that candidates and their agents get an indication that they have to setup there booths outside it. You would appreciate that doing this prior to they set up their booth is better than you ask them to remove once they have started setting up. That would avoid any clash or law and order problem. These camps shall have only one table and two chairs. People of same polling booth having valid EPIC can sit in these camps. Only one banner of specific size and in line with directions of ECI (see detailed ECI guidelines) can be displayed in these camps.
2. Ensure close of campaigning sharp at 5 pm on P-2 day.
3. Political functionaries hit by ECI directive that know person being non- voter of that constituency shall move out of the constituency. If he is voter he shall stay his residence and shall go to booth to vote and come back on poll day.
Pollday
1. If poll do not start in first 2 hours – repoll has to be observed. Starting from Polling Officer (Po3), PrO, BDO, Sector officer, officer who commissioned the EVM and officer who trained will be under scrutiny and responsible
2. For blind voters braile Ballot papers have to be arranged ( please see this aspect as per instructions of ECI)
3. After MCC comes into force every vehicle used for campaigning shall have permission from RO. After nominations are over care shall be taken on non-serious candidates/ dummy candidates regarding use of their vehicles etc. sec 171 of RP Act is there to take care of it. ( Read ECI’s instructions on it )
4. Micro observers to be deployed. Arrangements for them to be made as per instructions received in this regards.
5. There has to be three tier cardon on poll day around the booth. Sector officers (including police) and polling personnel to be properly briefed about it. Candidates Camps outside 200m radius. Within 100m radius no arms (except authorize persons) and mobile allowed. Police to incharge of the zone between 100m and 200m. DM,Observers, ADMs, SDOs’ security persons can go up to booth but will not enter the booth. The queue of the voters shall start after 5 feet from the door of the polling room. A marking , a bench etc. shall be kept to mark it. This is done to avoid crowding, avoid suffocation inside the booth, to ensure proper light reaches the room etc. please ensure this. This may avoid many problems on the poll day.

General
1. Download checklists ( for DEO / RO / Sector officers/ presiding officers and micro observers) from website of ECI ( www.eci.gov.in )or from CD send by me to all ADMs / PD / SDOs / BDOs) and print it. See that all aspects / points are being taken care of by you or at least you are preparing to make these requirements.

DM & DEOs SUGGESTIONS
1. BE METICULOUS , planned, proactive, innovative in all your approaches for conducting elections.
2. There is no substitute to reading the Books, Handbooks, Manuals, Instructions of ECI, CEO and DM & DEO- read it yourself well before forwarding to your cells, extension officers etc. ( better keep a copy with you in a folder)
3. Talk to your colleagues, seniors and discuss with them about practical aspects of managing things on ground. Try to improve on your thoughts by considering various aspects to make it systematic, easy, comfortable, less cumbersome, less confusing, more economical, lesser need for verbal communications with trainers & Trainees, Polling Personnel, DC/RC and counting venues by displaying
4. See your emails at least three times daily. We have given TATA INDICOM USB modems to all SDOs / ADMs and BDOs. Please use that. If not received talk to DPRDO or your predecessor. This is govt. property and it should be with present incumbent. It should be used fully as it has unlimited internet facility.
5. See ceo’s blog everyday atleast twice. www.ceowestbengal.blogspot.com
PLEASE ENSURE THAT EVERY REPORT AS ASKED FOR REACHES IN TIME. IT IS PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY OF SDOs and BDOs. IF REQUIRED YOU AND YOUR OFFICE HAVE TO WORK TILL LATE NIGHT TO MEET THE DEADLINES. I WOULD NOT LIKE TO LISTEN FORM CEO that REPORT IS MISSING FROM MURSHIDABAD. like this –
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5.3.09
District Information Report: Missing Districts
In yesterday's (4.3.2009) VC, I requested all DM/DEOs to send the District Information Reports by today.
We don't seem to have received the reports from the following districts:-
1. Malda
2. Murshidabad
3. North 24-Paraganas
4. Kolkata
Defaulting DEOs must send these at once, please.

WISH YOU AND YOUR TEAM ALL THE BEST