Pune: Election expenditure observers appointed by the Election Commission have reviewed the preparations and expenditure monitoring measures in the district’s 21 assembly constituencies.
The observers—Sumit Kumar, Premprakash Meena, Umesh Kumar, Amit Kumar, and A. Venkatesh Babu—emphasized the need for stringent tracking of the candidates' election expenses.
The officials instructed that comprehensive records be maintained, and strict surveillance be imposed to curb the illegal transport of money, liquor, and other incentives that could influence voters.
A review meeting was held in which several top officials were present, including District Collector and Election Officer Dr. Suhas Divase, District Superintendent of Police Pankaj Deshmukh, and other senior officials involved in the election process.
During the meeting, it was emphasized that all complaints received at the district control room regarding expenditure violations must be resolved on a daily basis, and regular reports should be submitted.
Umesh Kumar, one of the key observers, highlighted the importance of maintaining close coordination with the Assistant Expenditure Observers to ensure smooth and lawful election operations.
In light of the review, the observers instructed that special attention be paid to expenditure-sensitive constituencies. A. Venkatesh Babu recommended increasing the number of flying squads (FST) and static surveillance teams (SST) in these areas to enforce stricter monitoring. These teams will be working in three shifts to ensure continuous vigilance.
Dr. Suhas Divase, the District Election Officer, confirmed that various teams, including FST, SST, video surveillance teams (VST), and video monitoring teams (VVT), have been deployed in each of the 21 constituencies.
These teams have been provided with adequate training and are currently performing their duties as per the guidelines. Dr. Divase also instructed all officials to strictly follow the instructions issued by the election expenditure observers to ensure a free and fair election process.