ECI appoints Special Observers to oversee Lok Sabha polls

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the deployment of Special Observers to ensure smooth execution of upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Special Observers (General and Police) have been deployed in states namely West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, with a population of more than 7 crore and in states (Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha) where simultaneous elections to the Assemblies are to be held.
The observers will be supervising the randomisation of personnel, security forces, and voting machines.
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To address the concern related to money power and distribution of illicit liquor, freebies, special expenditure observers have been deployed in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and UP to strengthen election expenditure monitoring.
Former civil servants with a proven track record of domain expertise and experience with election processes have been appointed as Special Observers, their primary task is to provide critical feedback, and vigilant oversight to ensure fairness, impartiality and credibility of elections and to prevent any attempt of subverting the democratic process.
Along with the list of names of officers, ECI has also given a list of roles and responsibilities for the Special Observers including stationing themselves at state HQs, coordinating with regional heads and nodal officers of various agencies, focusing on border sensitivities, ensuring compliance with election guidelines and regulations, among other functions.