Chennai: In a first of its kind initiative to ensure effective action on election related complaints from voters and political parties, the Election Commission of India on Wednesday launched E-Netra (Election Novel Electronic Tracking and Rapid Action) System to hold free and fair R.K. Nagar bypoll. “It is a unique election complaints registration and disposal system aimed at receiving the election related complaints from citizens and political parties in a user friendly way. It will notify the complainant at the time of lodging complaint, its assignment to the field teams and will notify the outcome to the complainant after its disposal,” said Sandeep Saxena, chief electoral officer.
Announcing the launch of E-Netra initiative in a press conference, Mr Saxena said that this is an initiative aimed at providing free and fair atmosphere for electors to exercise their right to vote and to ensure a level playing field for all candidates of the political parties for observance of model code of conduct following the ethical electoral practices apart from monitoring expenditure by the contesting candidates and political parties.
The CEO said that the complaints could be made through six different modes including SMS, mobile app, email, IVR and postal and complainant would be given a registration number through the same mode. Depending on the nature of complaints, it would be sent for field verification to four static surveillance team in each of the seven wards, or nearest of the 28 flying squads or would be verified with the video feed from the 100 IP cameras installed in 26 locations in the constituency.
The complainant would be notified about the action taken within two hours to one day. The outcome of each of the complaint with the time line would be put on the website for public viewing but the identity of the complainant would be kept confidential. The designated officers including returning officer, district election officers and chief electoral officer and ECI would monitor the entire process.
Earlier, Mr Saxena chaired a meeting of recognised political parties. DMK staged a walkout protesting that the political parties was invited for the national electoral roll purification and authentication programme but the meeting was to discuss about the R.K. Nagar bypoll.
