West Bengal Governor R.N. Ravi announced the launch of a 24×7 Citizen Helpline to ensure free, fair, and fear-free elections in the forthcoming two-phase Assembly polls. In a statement issued from the office of the Governor yesterday, the decision to open the Helpline had been taken amid several meetings the Governor had with the public during the last few days, expressing apprehensions over the issue of pre-poll and post-poll violence in the state.
According to the statement, while the state administration and the police, as per the Election Commission of India (ECI), have made elaborate security arrangements to ensure fear-free elections, the Lok Bhavan has established a dedicated 24×7 Helpline to assist the citizens.The statement from Lok Bhawan said this initiative is to ensure that every voter can participate in the democratic process freely and without fear.
Mr Ravi’s predecessor, C.V. Ananda Bose, took a similar decision to prevent violence during the last Panchayat elections in 2023.
