EC calls meeting of central observers in New Delhi

The Election Commission has called a meeting of central observers in New Delhi on Thursday as part of preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The meeting is being held to brief the central observers about their roles and responsibilities while being on election duty. An official said, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora along with Election Commissioners Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra will brief the observers.

Election Commission has till now earmarked deploying over 800 expenditure monitoring observers for the multi-phase polls that begin on 11th of next month. The Commission’s mechanism to curb black money and illegal inducements like liquor and drugs will be shared with the expenditure monitoring observers during the day-long meeting.

The observers are drawn from various central services like the Indian Revenue Service, the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service, apart from others, and they are considered to be on EC duty till the elections process ends. Counting will be held on the 23rd of May.