Expenditure Observers arrive in Tirunelveli; to monitor poll expenditure by candidates

Following the General Observers, three Expenditure Observers for the five Assembly constituencies in the district arrived here on Thursday and held discussion with District Collector and other senior officials at the Collectorate about the preparations being made for the peaceful electioneering and polling.

While Narendra Aseri, an Indian Revenue Service officer, will be the Expenditure Observer for Tirunelveli and Ambasamudram constituencies, Dheeraj Kumar Jaiswal, another IRS officer, will take care of Palayamkottai segment. Nanguneri and Radhapuram constituencies will come under the monitoring of Vinod Kumar, also an IRS officer.

Any complaint regarding poll code violations pertaining to electoral expenditure can be registered with Mr. Narendra Aseri (97890 25855), Mr. Dheeraj Kumar Jaiswal (75500 45854) and Vinod Kumar (75400 65853).

After the meeting, the Expenditure Observers visited the election control room established at the Collectorate to record complaints being lodged by the public and the representatives of the political parties regarding poll code violations and forward it to the officials concerned for immediate disposal and the movement of flying and static squads moving around in GPRS-fitted vehicles.

They also inspected the media monitoring room, which will concentrate on the electioneering via print and electronic media and the social media platforms.

Superintendent of Police V. Prassannakumar, Corporation Commissioner Monika Rana, District Revenue Officer M. Durai, Sub-Collector, Cheranmahadevi, Ayush Gupta and the Returning Officers and the Assistant Returning Officers participated in the meeting.

Seven Assistant Expenditure Observers will be functioning under the Election Observers, who will be monitoring the poll expenditure by each candidate in the fray while Assessment Officers for each Assembly constituency will submit comprehensive report to the Assistant Expenditure Observers and the Expenditure Observers everyday based on their assessments.

The police monitoring officers have been asked to closely follow the sale of liquor during the run-up for elections as the candidates or their supporters would spend liberally to keep their cadres spirited till the end of election on April 23.