8 observers to oversee Panchayat elections in Malda district

MALDA: Malda will have eight observers to oversee the Panchayat election process in the district along with administrative preparations. These observers engaged by the State Election Commission will remain till the end of the polling period. In addition, a team will conduct surveillance in various places of the district to look after the matter related to the election campaign in the government places.

Abhijit Kumar Mitra will be the observer of Manikchak. Aniruddha Raha has been given the responsibility of observer of Habibpur and Bamangola blocks. English Bazar and Kaliachak-2 will have Sajalkanti Tikadar as the observer. Dipanjan Mukherjee will be on the duty of observer in Kaliachak 1 and 3 blocks. Harishchandrapur 1 and 2 blocks will be under Anirban Som. For Ratua-1 and 2 blocks, Debarati Sarkar and for Chanchal -1 and 2 blocks Paramita Mandal will be the observers. Sumi Biswas has been assigned as the observer of old Malda and Gazole blocks.

With the announcement of Panchayat elections the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into force. Like other general elections, the MCC surveillance team has started a district-wide operation to remove political posters, pictures, hoardings from government walls in the three tier Panchayat elections.

Nitin Singhania,District Magistrate Malda, said: “This team will supervise each of the blocks. Any poster, hoarding, advertisement or election campaign found on government walls shall be removed or deleted immediately. Delivery and receiving counters are being set up in 15 blocks for exchange of voting materials and ballot boxes. Booth wise marking work on ballot boxes has also started. There will be tight security in the coming days as on the days of nomination. All the preparations for the training of poll workers have also started.”