An Effective Control Room Presentation by:- G.S. Priyadarshi, IAS 2002 UP, District Magistrate, Etawah

My Election Experience CapacityDistrictLevel of election When DEOBagpat Assembly (3ACs / 823 PS) 2007 DEOAzamgarh Parliament (2 PCs/ 3190 PS) 2009 DEOEtawah Assembly Bye Election (2 ACs / 539 PS) 2009

The Problem On Poll Day – multiplicity and high speed of complaints received on DM / SSP mobiles Language and tone of speaker How to find out in shortest time to whom complaint should be forwarded to Limitation of police wireless

The Problem (Contd) Media Flashes Inquiries from senior levels Call waiting at the other side

The Election Control Room (ECR) The ECI guidelines makes ECRs mandatory for various occasions like, Voter List Revision Enforcement of MCC During whole election period Centralised Complaints monitoring Public Grievance redressal

Effective use of ECR Good connectivity. Never be out of connectivity. Equipped with Police Wireless, Internet (at least two networks), WLL, Fax, Land Line with hunting facility, Mobiles (different networks). Use of communication plan. But added numbers.

Effective use of ECR (contd.) Communication plan developed habitation wise and then linked to PS No. Geographical division of responsibility amongst operators Confidence building in Village Level Informers (VLIs) and officials Used in the whole election process but this presentation will focus on the poll day and that too on the law and order aspect.

The Law and Order Scenario Polling Center Police Station Mobiles Cluster Mobiles Sector Magistrate Mobiles Station House Officer Mobiles

Officer Linked with LO (OLLO) pyramid DEO Level Mobile Sub Divisional officer mobile Zonal Officer Mobile SHO Mobile Sector Officer Mobile Cluster Mobile Police Station Mobile

Some statistics of ’10 bye election

OLLO Span of Control OLLONo. of Locations to monitor PS06 Cluster09 SM05 SHO37 ZM53 SDM188

The Methodology On Poll Day. DM /SSP will move together. Both will be having two mobiles each of different networks. Apart from this the reader of SSP will also have two mobiles. The peon orderly will be having a WLL No. As the information is received to any of above, it will be transmitted to CR via WLL immediately.

The Methodology One LL No of CR is known only to us, so that it is always available for us, apart from the mobiles available with the officials. The CR is headed by a senior magistrate or a senior officer. He has been CR for some time now, so as soon as he receives the information, he passes it to the concerned operator.

The Methodology The Operator first contacts the lowest level of OLLO and then moves upward. He will continue to follow up with the information, till he gets OK report from some level of OLLO. Since Confidence building has already taken place, so the VLI and OLLO tend to tell real pictures to the operator. The complainant will also be contacted. Whenever final OK scene emerges, the Officer in charge of CR conveys the same to DM/ SSP mobile through phone.

Some unique features Demand Generation

Some unique features (Contd) Confidence Building Village level Informers Very practical communication plan, with the aim not to loose more than a minute in locating the person to be contacted Does not replace direct interaction of DM / SSP with Field Units (FUs)

End Result Less Confusion. Pinpointed reaction. No Lost force (as in the case of mobiles) Confidence in the people that at any point of time their voice will be heard and will be responded to. Very peaceful election

Positive Media Coverage and encouragement from Observers