EC meets state officials, focuses on sealing borders | India News

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Tuesday held a meeting with Chief Secretaries, Chief Electoral Officers and police chiefs of constituencies/UTs and 12 other states sharing their boundaries to review election preparations, law and order issues and expenditure enforcement.Special focus was on border districts and sealing of borders to maintain peace and order in poll-bound states/UTs, the EC said in a statement issued after the meeting, which was also attended by heads of various enforcement agencies.The EC said the election preparations were discussed in a meeting chaired by CEC Gyanesh Kumar with Election Commissioners SS Sandhu and Vivek Joshi; improved coordination; law and order situation; Seizure of illegal cash, alcohol, drugs, weapons; and review of cost-sensitive constituencies across Assam, Kerala, TN, Bengal and Puducherry.An EC spokesperson said, EC has directed all concerned to ensure elections free from violence, intimidation and incitement.Senior officials of the electoral states informed the electoral body about their overall preparedness, law and order issues and expenditure enforcement and any concerns or pending issues with the central body and neighboring states.Neighboring border states were directed to take all possible steps to help poll-bound states/UTs to prevent election rigging and violence.Heads of agencies like CBDT, CBIC, ED, DRI, CEIB, FIU-IND, RBI, IBA, NCB, ICG, BCAS, AAI, Postal Service, CRPF, CISF, BSF, SSB, RPF, ITBP, Indian Coast Guard and Assam Rifles were directed to ensure vigilance in the state/training area. These state/UT borders with extended checks at inter-state check posts.