Call to ensure fair elections

Warangal: The vigilance teams hold key in ensuring elections in free and fair manner, Urban District Collector and Warangal Parliament Constituency Returning Officer Prashant Jeevan Patil said. Speaking at a training programme here on Thursday, he told the surveillance teams and flying squads to act in an unbiased manner.

Officials need to understand that they are all working under the Election Commission (EC) and they are being monitored, he said. Patil said that flying squads and statistical surveillance teams appointed for three Assembly segments - Warangal East, West and Wardhannapet – will have to work round the clock in three shifts till the elections are completed.

These teams play a crucial role in curbing flow of money and liquor intended to influence the voters. These teams will keep an eye on contestants or their aides who resort to distribute gifts, money, liquor etc to influence the voters. The team leaders have magisterial powers to take immediate action, Patil said. He also explained about the cVigil application through a power-point presentation. The teams were also given access to the cVigil investigation application by the IT department of the NIC.

Commissioner of Police V Ravinder said that during the recent Assembly elections, the authorities had confiscated Rs 11.57 crore from individuals. Of which Rs 10.50 crore is meant for distributing among the voters. He said Warangal stood second in terms of money recovered during raids after Hyderabad. Joint Collector S Dayanand said that the surveillance teams have been provided with special sim cards, vehicles with loudspeakers, videographers etc.