Ahead of LS polls, EC reviews situation with state CSs, DGPs

The Election Commission today convened a high-level meeting of chief secretaries, police chiefs and chief electoral officers of all states to review security and other arrangements for coming Lok Sabha polls amid indications that they may spread over seven phases.
During the meeting, the security situation was discussed with all the directors general of police along with their state home secretaries while logistic issues were discussed with the state chief secretaries.
The poll body also discussed ways to tackle the use of money power during the polls and sought putting in place a fool-proof mechanism to check expenditure monitoring.
Sources privy to the meeting said railways may be running special trains for carrying paramilitary forces during elections, funds for which will be taken from the Commission's budget and later adjusted with the funds marked for Railway Ministry when new government presents the budget.

They said the coming polls for the 16th Lok Sabha would be staggged over six to seven phases as a lot of force mobilisation would have to be done from one place to another.
States from northeast demanded additional paramilitary forces keeping in mind increased violent incidents in Assam, Nagaland and Manipur.

The polls for Naxal-hit states including Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odhisa and militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir may be stretched to five phases for ensuring mobilisation of troops.
Besides the top brass of states, representatives from Home, Telecommunication and Railway ministries were also present at the meeting.

The meeting was called to look into the inter-state movement of central forces and also school examination dates before finalising the election schedule.