GANDERBAL: Election Expenditure Observer for Ganderbal, Ashok Gautam today chaired a significant meeting with the Nodal Officers here in the conference hall of Mini Secretariat Ganderbal.
The meeting was attended by District Election Officer (DEO) Ganderbal, Shyambir; SSP Ganderbal, Wasim Qadri; Additional District Development Commissioner, Mushtaq Ahmad Simnani; Additional Deputy Commissioner, Gulzar Ahmad; Deputy District Election Officer (Dy DEO), Abid Iqbal Malik; District Treasury Officer (DTO), Dr. Sareer Ahmad Mir and other key officials.
The primary focus of the meeting was to review and discuss the expenditure monitoring mechanism for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024 in the district.
The Expenditure Observer emphasized the need for strict adherence to the Election Commission of India’s guidelines regarding election expenditure. He also highlighted the importance of transparency and accountability in maintaining the integrity of the electoral process.
During the discussions, the Election Observer provided detailed instructions to the DTO and other officials on implementing effective expenditure monitoring at the grassroots level.
The DEO briefed him on various facets of District Election Management Plan and apprised that the administration is committed to maintaining transparency and efficiency throughout the election period.
The DTO, who is Nodal Officer for Election Expenditure, gave a detailed overview of the proactive steps taken by the district administration to monitor election-related expenditures strictly as per the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India through a PowerPoint Presentation.
Later, the Election Observer reviewed the functioning of Election Expenditure Monitoring Machinery including FSTs, VSTs, VVTs and Accounting Teams in a separate meeting.
While interacting with these teams the Election Observer highlighted the critical role of these teams and emphasized election expenditure monitoring shall be strictly followed as per the guidelines of ECI.
He said that the ECI mandate is to ensure a free and fair election process, urging the team members to perform their duties by upholding the highest values of integrity and professionalism which will provide a level playing field to all candidates.
The meeting concluded with directives for the officials to ensure timely submission of expenditure reports, strict vigilance on election-related expenses, and prompt action on any violations.
Meanwhile, the Expenditure Observer conducted a thorough inspection of the arrangements at the Integrated District Election Control Room and interacted with the staff, providing guidance on handling election-related queries, complaints, and emergencies.
