Meghalaya govt begins monitoring law and order situation

Meghalaya government has started closely monitoring and assessing the law and order situation in the state for the assembly elections starting early next year, officials said today.

The security assessment assumes significance in the wake of militant groups attacking Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee working president Deborah Marak in her constituency in East Garo Hills district last week.

"The Home department is conducting preliminary assessment in the entire state even as poll-related militant activities would also be closely monitored," senior officials of the state government told PTI.

Meghalaya Chief Electoral Official (CEO) P Naik said the final security assessment would be done by mid December and necessary forces required would be intimated to the Centre for deployment.

With an additional 886 polling stations this time apart from the existing 1599 polling booth, sources in the Home department said that about 100 companies of para military forces would be deployed in the entire state.

The CEO also said the government expects an enrolment of about 14.5–15 lakh voters till January 5, the day of declaration of the final electoral roll.

Till October 1, 13.5 lakh voters have successfully enrolled as compared to 12.4 lakh total enrolment in 2008.

Meanwhile, Naik also said that each district will have a 'Media Certification and Monitoring Committee' (MCMC) during the election period to keep a check on the cases of paid news in line with the Supreme Court order in this regard.

The state, having 60 seats, went to poll last on March 3, 2008 in a single phase.