Pune: Pimpri Chinchwad municipal commissioner Shravan Hardikar has issued show-cause notices to 1,329 polling staff members for failing to attend the mandatory training programme organised ahead of the upcoming civic elections.Most of the notices have been served to teachers appointed for various election-related duties on polling day.The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) conducted a two-day training programme at GD Madgulkar Auditorium in Nigdi on Saturday and Sunday for officials assigned election duties. However, despite the programme being compulsory, as many as 1,329 staff members remained absent.The notice stated that the officials violated provisions of the Representation of the People Act by skipping the training without seeking prior permission. “Appropriate action will be initiated against those who fail to submit a valid and justifiable explanation,” a senior PCMC official said.The official said the training was crucial to ensure the smooth conduct of the polls. “The programme was held in three sessions. It covered the polling process, preparatory arrangements at polling stations, election laws, and guidelines of the Election Commission. The staff were also given live demonstrations on the use of EVMs, along with detailed instructions on handling the machines,” he said.Earlier, Hardikar had said that the civic body would require 14,250 officers and staff to ensure the smooth conduct of elections across 2,034 polling stations. He informed that more than 14,000 personnel have already been deployed for election-related work in the run-up to the polls.
