Uttar Pradesh: Departmental action against 70 officials for skipping election training in Lucknow

Representation Pic/File

Departmental action is being initiated against 70 officials who did not turn up for the training of presiding and polling officers held in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh for Lok Sabha elections 2024, the officials said on Tuesday, reported the IANS.

District Magistrate Surya Pal Gangwar has now directed action against all such officials, the officials said.

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The district magistrate, who took stock of the first day of the training session on Monday, directed the respective departments to take strict action against the officials under the relevant sections of the Representation of the People Act, as per the IANS.

According to the district magistrate, the training is aimed at providing a comprehensive understanding of the polling process and the guidelines that need to be adhered to for holding free and fair elections, reported the IANS.

Gangwar noted that a total of 3,200 officials are to be trained. "There are two batches of officials being trained in two shifts. Each shift has around 1,600 officials. We had previously issued warning to the officials that attendance is a must because, during these trainings, officials will learn several strategies to mitigate issues that may arise on the day of polling," Gangwar noted, according to the IANS.

During the training, the officials were made aware of the functioning of the EVMs and VVPATs. Besides, they were also made aware of what to do in case EVMs appear to be damaged.

Fire breaks out in Lucknow Police van carrying women prisoners, cops

A van carrying nine women prisoners and 14 police officials from the Lucknow District Jail to the court caught fire outside the Raj Bhavan on Tuesday, officials said, according to the PTI.

All the passengers were safely rescued while the police van was totally charred, they said, as per the PTI.

The incident took place in the front of gate number 14 of Raj Bhavan, causing panic among the passersby.

Ram Kumar Rawat, Hazratganj Fire Station Officer, told PTI Videos that two fire tenders were rushed to the spot on receiving information and the fire was doused within 15 minutes.

Rawat said the driver spotted sparks from around the battery in the bus, following which the vehicle was stopped and prisoners and women security personnel were taken out.

(with IANS and PTI inputs)