An Effective Control Room

Presentation by:-

G.S. Priyadarshi, IAS 2002 UP,

District Magistrate, Etawah

My Election Experience

Capacity District Level of election

When

DEO Bagpat Assembly (3ACs / 823 PS)

2007

DEO Azamgarh Parliament (2 PCs/ 3190 PS)

2009

DEO Etawah 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

District Officers Mobiles

Sub Divisional Officers Mobiles

Zonal Magistrate Mobiles

Station House Officer Mobiles

Sector Magistrate Mobiles

Cluster Mobiles

Police Station Mobiles

Polling Center

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

OLLO No. of Locations to monitor

PS 06

Cluster 09

SM 05

SHO37

ZM 53

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

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