SRINAGAR: District Election Officer (DEO) Budgam, Dr Bilal Mohi-ud-Din Bhat, on Wednesday formally appointed nodal officers for various election-related responsibilities ahead of the upcoming bye-election to the 27-Budgam Assembly Constituency.
The DEO convened a high-level review meeting at the DC Office Complex Budgam to assess the preparedness of all concerned departments and ensure a smooth and transparent electoral process. The meeting was attended by ADC Budgam, Mehraj-ud-Din Shah; ASP Budgam; CPO Budgam; Deputy DEO Budgam; and representatives from Fire & Emergency Services, NIC, Police, Health, Education, R&B, DIC, Social Welfare, Transport, and Information Department.
Dr Bilal Mohi-ud-Din Bhat stressed meticulous planning and inter-departmental coordination, reiterating that free, fair, inclusive, and transparent elections remain the top priority. He directed officers to work in a mission mode and maintain close liaison with the election machinery to address issues well in advance.
During the meeting, the DEO reviewed preparedness in logistics, transport, training, communication systems, law and order, micro observer deployment, EVM management, postal ballots, polling personnel welfare, and other election-related components. He also emphasised timely completion of training programmes and mock drills to test the readiness of all teams.
In line with Election Commission of India guidelines, the following Nodal Officers were designated, ADC Budgam, Mehraj-ud-Din Shah, for law and order and permissions to rallies; General Manager DIC Budgam, Zahid Rashid, for Model Code of Conduct and complaint management; SDM Chadoora, Primroze Bashir, for postal ballots; Executive Engineer Roads and Buildings Division Budgam, Ashiq Hussain, for micro observers; Deputy DEO Budgam, Hilal Ahmad Mir, for logistics; Principal Regional Extension Training Centre Budgam, Hilal Ahmad Mir, assisted by Sheikh Zahoor, Principal GHSS Magam, for training; District Informatics Officer NIC Budgam, Mir Majid Kanth, for human resource and IT applications; Chief Planning Officer, Javid Ahmad Najar, for poll personnel welfare; District Sheep Husbandry Officer Budgam, Maroof Shah, assisted by BDO Nagam, for voting by polling staff; DYSSO Budgam, Gh Hassan Lone, for EVM management; ARTO Budgam, Arif Shah, for transport; District Treasury Officer Budgam, Showkat Ali Rather, for election expenditure monitoring; Chief Education Officer Budgam, Rifat Irfan Qadri, for SVEEP activities; District Information Officer Budgam, Erim Aziz, for media, social media, and MCMC; District Education Officer, Javid Ahmad Banday, for ETPBS; Executive Engineer R&B Division Budgam, Shafat Hussain, for material management; Chief Medical Officer Budgam, Dr Gulzar Ahmad, for health, welfare, and contingency; and District Social Welfare Officer Budgam, Ubaid-ul-Khazir, for PwD/accessible elections.
The DEO directed that each nodal officer shall be personally responsible for the comprehensive and timely execution of their assigned tasks and maintain constant communication with the election control room at the DC Office. Officers were also instructed to update logistics, transport plans, polling station details, and manpower deployment data to avoid last-minute issues.
Emphasising voter awareness, Dr Bilal Mohi-ud-Din Bhat called for active implementation of the SVEEP programme to encourage maximum voter turnout under the slogan, “Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure.”
He expressed confidence that coordinated efforts from all departments will ensure the bye-election to 27-AC Budgam is conducted in a peaceful, fair, and efficient manner.
