Interstate meeting on simultaneous polls

The deputy commissioners of Biswanath and Lakhimpur districts of Assam and their Pakke-Kessang and Papum Pare counterparts held an interstate coordination meeting at the SDO office here in Assam on Monday, in view of the upcoming simultaneous elections. The SPs of Papum Pare, Itanagar, Naharlagun and Biswanath districts, and the Pakke-Kessang DSP also attended the meeting. Papum Pare DC Jiken Bomjen sought cooperation from his counterparts in ensuring smooth conduct of the elections to be held in Arunachal, “in terms of smooth passage of various election teams and ensuring security of election-related materials.” He advocated paying “special attention to avert infiltration of bogus voters, movement of illegal cash, alcohol, freebies, etc, across the boundaries by the law enforcing agencies on both sides.” Bomjen and his Pakke-Kessang counterpart also sought “plying pass, along with vehicles to be requisitioned during elections in case of shortcomings.” The DCs of Assam assured to render all possible help for smooth conduct of the elections in Arunachal. The Biswanath DC also agreed to “create a resting booth in the Behali reserved forest for the polling teams, if needed.”