Kerala - Kochi
Probe ordered into complaints against presiding officers

Staff Reporter

Collector seeks report from returning officers in this regard

KOCHI: Collector A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish has sought inquiry reports from returning officers regarding complaints against some presiding officers for the Assembly elections held last Saturday.

The returning officers have been asked to file reports on presiding officers including the officer at a polling booth in Piravom, who refused entry to UDF candidate T.M. Jacob into a polling booth. The Collector, who is also the District Election Officer, said that penal action would be taken against the presiding officers, if found guilty.

The Collector said that an inquiry had been ordered against the sector officers for the elections, including village officers and taluk officers, who were suspected of dereliction of duty. The sector officers were bound to visit polling booths at frequent intervals and make enquiries regarding the polling procedures.

Mr. Hanish said that the wide variance in polling percentage observed at certain booths was suspected to be caused by negligence of sector officers.

For example, the polling percentage in Piravom at 3 p.m. was observed to be 42, while it reached 74 per cent at 5 p.m. This showed that the reporting system was not perfect, according to the Collector.

He said that classes for counting officers would be held this week. The staff of the Revenue Department would be solely conducting the counting process. The election observers for the district have left for Delhi after the polling was completed. They will return on May 9 for the counting. The Collector said that the results could be completely declared by around 10 a.m. on May 11.
(The Hindu, May 3, 2006)