Bengaluru Urban district administration control room cracks down on poll-related illegal activities

BENGALURU: The Bengaluru Urban district administration control room, set up to curb election-related illegal activities, has been working effectively ever since the announcement of the Model Code of Conduct and kept a close watch on illegal activities such as transporting cash, liquor, and other materials. Complaints received from seven Assembly constituencies are resolved in 100 minutes. The officials from the control room are also filing suo-moto cases.

The seven Assembly constituencies that come under the Bengaluru Urban district administration are Yelahanka, Yeshwantpur, Byatarayanapura, Mahadevapura, Dasarahalli, Anekal and Bangalore South.

There are 3,083 polling stations in these seven constituencies. There are 310 flying squad teams, 140 static surveillance teams, and 20 video surveillance teams keeping a close watch at 45 checkposts. The officials are monitoring irregularities through CCTVs and live-streaming at each checkpost and the work of officers and staff is monitored from the control room itself.

Nodal officer Sheetal said, “We have to solve a complaint in 100 minutes, which comes through the c-VIGIL app. There are two executive magistrates and three police personnel in each flying squad”.

Nodal officer Sheethal said about 310 flying squads kept close watch on poll-illegal activities

“Another is National Grievance Redressal Portal, which mainly receives complaints about EPIC-related complaints such as correction in names, polling stations, deletion of names, missing names. We receive at least 100 to 150 cases every day and our team will close such complaints within 24 hours by coordinating with Returning Officers. Hhigh-resolution cameras are installed at the checkposts which work effectively even in cloudy weather. There is a GPS tracking facility also”, she added.

Complaints are received by the redressal team. “A separate account in the name of the district commissioner has been opened on all social media. If anyone tags a complaint to the DC, the team will take immediate action. There are seven control rooms at Returning officers level. We will coordinate with them”, said Sheetal.