European Commission meets state officials to focus on sealing borders

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Tuesday held a meeting with the chief secretaries, chief election officers and police chiefs of the polling states/UTs and 12 other states bordering it to review the overall election preparations, law and order issues and expenditure execution.Special attention is being paid to border areas and sealing of borders to maintain peace and order in polling states/UTs, the EC said in a statement after the meeting, which was also attended by heads of various law enforcement agencies.The meeting, chaired by CEC Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners SS Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, discussed poll preparations; enhanced coordination; law and order situation; confiscation of illegal cash, liquor, drugs, weapons; and review of expenditure-sensitive constituencies in Assam, Kerala, TN, Bengal and Puducherry, the EC said.“The Election Commission directs all parties concerned to ensure that the election is free of violence, intimidation and inducement,” an Election Commission spokesman said.Senior officials of the poll-bound states apprised the electoral body about its overall preparedness, law and order issues and expenditure execution, as well as any concerns or outstanding issues with central agencies and neighboring states.Neighboring border states have been directed to take all possible steps to help poll-bound states/Union Territories to check vote inducement and violence.Heads of agencies such as CBDT, CBIC, ED, DRI, CEIB, FIU-IND, RBI, IBA, NCB, ICG, BCAS, AAI, Postal Service, CRPF, CISF, BSF, SSB, RPF, ITBP, Indian Coast Guard and Assam Rifles have been directed to ensure increased vigilance and enhanced inspection at inter-state check posts in poll-bound states/UTs and areas bordering these states/UTs.