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Rediff.com  » News » EC team visits Naxal-hit Bihar districts

EC team visits Naxal-hit Bihar districts

By Anand Mohan Sahay in Patna
September 21, 2005 13:25 IST
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An Election Commission team led by the Chief Election Commissioner B B Tandon is holding a meeting with senior district and government officials of 12 Naxalite-affected districts on Wednesday in Patna.

Official sources said Tondon wanted to know the ground reality in these 12 districts.

"The meeting started early in the day and likely to go till afternoon," an official said.

Tondon is visiting Bihar for the fourth time in a month to review the poll preparations in the state.

He, along with other members of the commission, arrived in Patna on Tuesday night.

The Naxalites have given a call to boycott the assembly polls and threatened to use People's Guerilla Army to enforce their boycott call.

During his visit, Tandon will look into the preparation of photo identity cards, execution of non-bailable warrants of arrest and security deployment.

Besides, he told newspersons that the EC had received complaints about officials taking money in lieu of providing photo identity cards to voters.

He said the matter was serious and the erring officials would be taken to task after a proper investigation.

The EC has announced a four-phase poll schedule for the politically volatile state on October 18 and 26, and November 13 and 19.

Counting of votes will be taken up on November 22.

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Anand Mohan Sahay in Patna