Shillong, Feb 4: Over Rs 22 crore will be spent for the conduct of elections to the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC), which are slated to be held on February 21.
Informing this on Tuesday, Commissioner & Secretary in-charge District Council Affairs (DCA) department Cyril Diengdoh said, “The estimated amount for both the ADCs is about Rs 22 crore.”
He said that the expenditures differ from district to district adding each deputy commissioner makes an assessment and accordingly funds are released to them.
Stating that the department is fully prepared for the ADC polls, Diengdoh said the chief secretary DP Wahlang had also reviewed the preparedness during a meeting held on Monday with all the deputy commissioners and sub-divisional officers.
“All have expressed confidence that they are fully geared up and prepared for the elections,” he added.
On the security arrangements, the commissioner & secretary said that additional manpower from the western range (Garo Hills region) will be taken to bolster the forces that are required during the polls in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region (eastern range).
“That preparation is going on and the DCs are closely working with the SPs of the districts concerned. We will get details from the police on how many additional forces they are taking from the western range. They will be taking forces from the western range to bolster the police forces in the eastern range for the purpose of elections specifically,” he stated.
Regards to the number of vulnerable and critical polling stations, Diengdoh said that the DCs are doing a continuous assessment.
“If there are any inputs based on vulnerability and critical booths, that information the DCs shared with the police and there is a strict protocol that is maintained and how they are doing this assessment and based on that they take action as to bolster the force or do other such arrangements so that there is no problem in the elections and obviously the DCA take into consideration the important stakeholders including the political parties, local headmen and others so that all stakeholders are aware and everyone cooperates to ensure a free and fair election,” he stated.
Further, the DCA official said that the government does not forsee any law and order breakdown during the ADC polls.
“We don’t foresee as we expect all stakeholders to cooperate and coordinate so that there are free and fair elections and peaceful elections most importantly as has been the tradition in the state of Meghalaya. We always used to have peaceful elections with the cooperation of all political parties and all candidates, the district administrations, the police, the headmen – all these stakeholders so I am sure this time also we are moving in that direction to have a peaceful election,” he asserted.
He also added that so far the department has not received any complaint against the violation of the model code of conduct (MCC).
“Not to my notice. If they have filed they filed directly with the ROs. As per the MCC, the complaint has to be addressed by the ROs concerned. If at all the ROs or DCs are not able to take a decision then it may be referred to the DCA department but these are handled at the levels of the ROs,” he stated.
“We don’t have any reports as of now. If there are any instances, the police and the DCs have the mechanism to check and if required they will do the seizures as per MCC to ensure free and fair conduct of elections,” he further added.
 and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC), which are slated to be held on February 21.){kind=link}