Bhubaneswar: Chief Secretary Anu Garg on Wednesday directed all the District Collectors and SPs to ensure that student union elections are conducted peacefully and no violence or disruption occurs on campuses.
Chairing a high-level meeting in Bhubaneswar, she directed the district administrations and police to provide necessary support to colleges and universities during the election process.
The Chief Secretary reviewed the arrangements for conducting the elections peacefully and maintaining law and order across campuses.
Officials were also directed to prevent the entry and unnecessary interference of non-students on campuses during the elections, in accordance with the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Commission.
During the meeting it was decided that Collectors, SPs, Additional District Magistrates and Sub-Collectors will visit higher educational institutions in their respective districts and interact with college and university authorities as well as students regarding the elections and their management.
As per the election schedule, candidates will file their nominations on October 9, while polling and declaration of results will be held on October 15.
Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh, DGP Binaytosh Mishra, Intelligence Director R.P. Koche and Higher Education Commissioner-cum-Secretary Aravind Agrawal attended the meeting. District Collectors and SPs from across the state joined the meeting.
Higher Education Secretary Aravind Agrawal briefed the meeting on the election schedule and rules. He said details of higher educational institutions and the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for conducting the elections would be provided to all Collectors and SPs.
He also directed district officials to ensure compliance with the Lyngdoh Commission recommendations and Higher Education Department guidelines during the elections.
Deoranjan Kumar Singh, DGP Binaytosh Mishra and Intelligence Director R.P. Koche said SPs would visit higher educational institutions before the nomination process begins. They would monitor the law and order situation from nomination filing through polling, counting and declaration of results, as well as the post-election campus environment.
The meeting also emphasised the need for officials to interact with students. Special attention will be given to institutions where student unrest or disturbances had been reported during elections in previous years, and necessary preparations will be made accordingly.
The meeting was also attended by Higher Education Department Director Kali Prasanna Mahapatra, Joint Secretary Mousumi Nayak and other senior officials.