Gangtok, October 11, 2012:

The District Collector, East D. Anandan during the press conference held at his chamber  clarified that the news of the Chief Minister’s participation in the meeting of 12^th October at Chintan Bhawan, Gangtok is purely baseless.

He said that as per the rules of guidelines issued by the State Election Commission in the Returning Officers Handbook it is mandatory for the Returning Officers to have a meeting with all the contesting candidates to guide them in the election procedure.

In order to seek the cooperation of the contesting candidates for free and fair poll, aware the contesting candidates about the election procedure, familiarization of EVM among the candidates and to issue their candidates identity cards, the candidates have been called by the Returning Officers at Chintan Bhawan, the DC said. Further the candidates have been asked to bring two pass port size photographs for their identity cards and will be distributed manual for election code of conduct and explain them about the code of conduct during the meeting. He further said that the letters have been written to this extend to the political parties and the independent candidates are being informed telephonically by the Returning Officers. The District Collector also requested the members of the media to dissiminate this information to the contesting candidates through the respective publications so that the candidates avail the benefit of the meeting and the confusion with regard to this meeting is resolved.

The District Collector further eleborating on the preparation of the east district and assuring that the District Panchayat Election Office, East is fully prepared for free and fair poll for the panchayat election 2012 said that there are altogether eight Returning Officers in East District, seven for the Gram panchayat and one for the Zilla Panchayat. There will be total of 260 polling station in East Sikkim and accordingly 260 polling parties have been formed for which appointment orders are being sent to the concerned department, he informed. One polling party will consists of one Presiding Officer and four Polling Officers and the training for the Polling parties is scheduled for 16^th and 17^th October at Chintan Bhawan, Gangtok. Further, elaborating on the preparations he informed that two strong rooms have been finalised at the Auditorium Hall of Tashi Namgyal Academy and the hall has been fixed as the counting centre and further the polling materials will also be dispatched from this place for  which the center have already been inspected by the district authority.

 

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