GANDERBAL, APRIL 15: District Election Officer (DEO) Ganderbal, Hashmat Ali Khan today chaired a high-level meeting to finalise the arrangements put in place for smooth conduct of the April 18 Lok Sabha Elections in the district.

The meeting was attended by DDEO, Assistant Returning Officers besides other Nodal officers of the district.

The meeting discussed all election-related matters like deployment of polling staff, distribution and collection of polling related material, functioning of constituted teams, transportation, besides necessary arrangements at Distribution-cum-Collection centers including establishment of control rooms, Help Desk, first aid, sanitation plan, installation of Public addressing System for necessary announcements, refreshment for polling staff etc. were discussed in detail.

The basic facilities kept available at the polling stations including water, electricity, toilets and wash-rooms, establishment of strong rooms, regulation of traffic and parking, communication plan etc. were also discussed in the meeting.

The DEO while interacting with designated Nodal Officers exhorted upon them to work with utmost dedication and in coordination with each other to ensure hassle-free voting, collection and dispatch of polling related material and smooth functioning of Electronic Voting Machines, Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail machines on the polling day across all polling stations.

Day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed Abdullahs, and Muftis have “ruined” lives of three generations of the state, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah Monday called Narendra Modi “anti-Kashmiri and anti-Muslim”.

According to KNS correspondent while addressing party convention of Srinagar, Farooq said Narendra Modi was dividing the nation on the name of religion.

“Modi is pointing fingers at us that we want to divide the nation. Had National Conference tried to divide the nation then India would not have existed today. Thousands among those who were killed in Jallian Wala Bagh were Kashmiris but you never remembered them,” Farooq said, while comparing Narendra Modi with Firon.

At an election rally in Kuthua, the Prime Minister on Sunday slammed National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party.

“Abdullah family and Mufti family destroyed lives of three generations of Jammu and Kashmir. The bright future of Jammu and Kashmir can be ensured only after their departure. They can bring their entire clan into field, can abuse Modi as much as they want but they won’t be able to divide this nation,” Modi has said.

He challenged Prime Minister to address election rally in Kashmir. “You can’t address election rally in Kashmir because you deceived Muslims and did no justice to Kashmiris. If you believe Kashmir is an integral part of India then why don’t you address rally here. You made strict laws, used pellets but could not win hearts of Kashmir.”

He said it was National Conference, which contested polls in 1996 when no one was interested to come into electoral politics.

He also questioned the government of India’s claims that they carried out attack on Jaish-e-Muhammad camps in Balakote.

Addressing the election rally in Srinagar, Omar Abdullah his son, asked people to vote for the candidate who will protect the special status of the state.

“It is a test for us how to defeat the conspiracies being hatched against the state. This is ample clear now what is the agenda of the BJP,” Omar said, reacting to BJP’s manifesto where the party said they are committed to abrogate Article 370 and Article 35 A.

Reacting to Prime Minister that Abdullahs, and Muftis have “ruined” lives of three generations of the state, Omar asked, “When I was minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, the BJP had then no problem even when passed a resolution for autonomy of state. Modi Ji you made a similar statement in 2014 rally but later made government with the PDP. You are always changing your colours?”

Omar claimed that NC leaders told Mehbooba Mufti in the assembly the JK’s special position was under threat. “But she did not listen to us. Even the then law minister had sent a file to chief minister’s office for cancellation of fake permanent resident certificates but she did not act. How can we expect she will protect JK’s special status?”

Government of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday assigned additional charges to four officers in the interest of the administration.

According to Government Order No.476-GAD of 2019, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment, shall hold the charge of Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Information Department, in addition to his own duties.

Rigzian Sarnpheal, Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Tourism Department, shall hold the charge of Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Department of Floriculture, Parks and Gardens, in addition to his own duties.

Pandurang Kondbarao Pole, Secretary to the Government, Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, shall hold the charge of Secretary to the Government, Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, in addition to his own duties relieving Saurabh Bhagat, Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Labour and Employment Department of the additional charge of the post.

Zubair Ahmad, KAS, Secretary to the Government, Culture Department, shall hold the charge of Secretary to the Government, Technical Education Department, in addition to his own duties.