Odisha Panchayat Polls: Police to ensure safety of voters, candidates, says DGP Sunil Bansal

Bhubaneswar: Odisha DGP Sunil Bansal on Saturday informed that the State Police will ensure the safety of voters and candidates during the upcoming panchyat polls, which is slated to be held between February 16 and February 24 amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

While briefing media after attending a virtual meeting chaired by State Election Commissioner Aditya Prasad Padhi, the DGP informed that we had a meeting under the chairmanship of the State Election Commissioner today.

“Discussions were held regarding how to enforce the law and order and the Model Code of Conduct. All SPs and District Collectors were present in the meeting. We took their view points and discussed the practical difficulties likely to be faced while enforcing the law and order and the Model Code of Conduct,” he said.

“The Panchayat election is a unique challenge for the State police as polls are being held during the pandemic period. Some steps have already taken to ensure enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct by following the COVID guidelines,” the DGP added.

He further said that I hope that we will successfully carryout our responsibilities and meet the expectation of the people during the election.