J-K govt set up control room ahead of elections

SRINAGAR: In view of upcoming state assembly elections, the Jammu and Kashmir government has set up control rooms at the divisional, district and tehsil levels for public to lodge reports and seek urgent help for any untoward incident, official sources said on Tuesday.
   
The control rooms will function round the clock and remain positioned till the election process is over, Governor N N Vohra said while interacting with leaders of different political parties, barring Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), here on Monday.
   
Senior leaders of National Conference, Congress, Peoples Democratic Front, National Panthers Party, Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Party, CPI and Bharatiya Janata Party attended the meeting, the sources said.
   
The telephone numbers of the newly set up control rooms will be notified in the next few days to the headquarters of all the political parties as well as to the public at large to be able to lodge reports and seek urgent help, Vohra said.    

He reiterated his administration's resolve to ensure free, fair and fearless elections in the state.    

Vohra said that the government machinery is being fully geared to meet the arising challenges. Also, necessary security arrangements will be made to ensure smooth elections which are to be polled in seven-phase beginning November 17.
    
Nearly 65 lakh voters, including 31,45,446 women electorate, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the elections.