Bhubaneswar: The State Transport department is diligently adhering to all directives of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) for the smooth conduct of the general elections. To review the same, a meeting was conducted by the State Transport Commissioner, Amitabh Thakur with all high-ranking officials of the State Transport Authority (STA) and Regional Transport Officers (RTOs), who participated through video conferencing.
“The aim of the meeting was to look after the timely deployment of vehicles assigned for election purposes. The department prioritises meticulous planning and rectification of any shortcomings in the vehicle arrangement system for the same,” an official said.
The current status of vehicle requisitions from various regions was assessed based on the information provided to STA. Consequently, the Commissioner has instructed to check and reassess the vehicle requirements, based on region-wise needs.
“The advance arrangements are in line with proposals from past election experiences and suggestions from appointed staff, aimed at boosting morale and enthusiasm among vehicle owners and staff participating in the election process,” Thakur expressed.
During the 2019 elections, the department requisitioned 58,000 vehicles statewide. The current estimation of vehicle necessary for the ongoing elections will be determined shortly to expedite the requisition process, as advised by Thakur.
Additionally, providing daily expenditure to the appointed vehicle staff, during duty, in advance, has been emphasised. This was instructed by Commerce & Transport department principal secretary Usha Padhee, to all the District Collectors. “Each bus and four-wheeler driver, conductor or assistant staff will receive a daily allowance of Rs. 500 and a two-wheeler driver will receive Rs. 250,” informed Padhee.
Arindam Ganguly, OP