Five staffers suspended for not attending polling training session

Tirupati : Collector and District Election Officer Pravin Kumar acted tough on the staff, who did not attend the second phase of training programme held for presiding officers (POs), APOs and other polling staff. He has earlier issued show cause notices to 14 polling staff and suspended five of them. Similarly, he also issued show cause notices to 272 staffers, who abstained from polling duties.

In a statement on Friday, the DEO said the explanation given by the five officers was not satisfactory and they were suspended. He added that conducting elections is a big responsibility in a democracy in which employees have to play their role by doing justice to their duties. Yet, some employees have shown negligence in discharging their poll related duties and abstained from training programme. Further, 272 employees, who were served show cause notices for not attending the polling duties have to explain their reasons within five days.

DEO Kumar said the first phase of randomisation of counting staff has been completed on Friday. The process has been undertaken using the ECI website software. A total of 1053 staff including counting supervisors, counting assistants and micro observers were allotted including 20 percent reserve staff.

District revenue officer Penchala Kishore, Manpower management nodal officer Chandrasekhar Naidu and NIC DIO Venkateswarlu were present.

Meanwhile, DEO Kumar visited counting centre and strong rooms at School of Engineering and Technology in Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam (SPMVV) on Friday and made several suggestions on the arrangements being made. He observed barricading, seating and other arrangements meticulously. There should be uninterrupted power supply at the counting centre and for this generator with required capacity has to be provided. He also inspected the security arrangements, EVMS through the CCTV cameras at the control room and signed in the visitors’ book.