Preparations Underway for General Elections: Coordination Meeting Emphasizes Vigilance Against Illegal Activities

Bhubaneswar: In anticipation of the upcoming General Election to Lok Sabha and Odisha Legislative Assembly in 2024, a State Level Coordination Meeting with various Enforcement Agencies was convened today under the leadership of Chief Secretary, Pradeep Kumar Jena, at the Lok Seva Bhawan Conference Room.

During the meeting, Chief Secretary Jena underscored the importance of robust action against law violators to ensure a secure and orderly electoral process. The focus will be on preventing law and order disruptions attributed to drug abuse, illegal drug trafficking, and illegal arms trade during the elections. Collaborative efforts with the Police Department, Excise Department, Forest Department, and Commercial Tax Department will be pivotal in conducting coordinated raids. Strict vigilance will be maintained at Inter-State borders and police check posts across the state.

A total of 118 Police Check posts along the Odisha border will be closely monitored in different districts to curb smuggling activities, especially related to intoxicants such as liquor, ganja, bhang, etc. The meeting also witnessed the sharing of information by the police department regarding various narcotics raids conducted in different non-election years preceding elections.

The meeting saw the participation of key officials including Additional Chief Secretary Home Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh, ACS Revenue, FE&CC Department Satyabrata Sahu, ACS G&PG Department Surendra Kumar, DGP Odisha Arun Kumar Sarangi, Principal Secretary Finance Vishal Kumar Dev, Principal Secretary I&PR Department Sanjay Kumar Singh, PCCF Wildlife Sushant Nanda, Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur, and Excise Commissioner.

This coordination meeting reflects the state’s commitment to ensuring a smooth electoral process and preventing any untoward incidents related to illegal activities during the forthcoming elections.