State election commissioner JK Dutta (centre) at a divisional meeting in Muzaffarpur on Monday. Picture by Prakash Kumar

Muzaffarpur, April 11: State election commissioner J.K. Dutta today said that mapping of vulnerable areas hit by Naxalite activities in the rural belts was in progress for deployment of road opening parties (ROPs) for the upcoming panchayat elections.

ROPs equipped with sophisticated weapons guard the roads to the polling booths in the villages during the elections.

Dutta, along with officials of the Election Commission dashed to Muzaffarpur on Monday and held a high-level review meeting to assess the preparedness to conduct panchayat elections scheduled from April 20. The elections would be held in 10 phases in Bihar. Dutta said he assessed the preparedness with the senior police and administrative officials of north Bihar and gave necessary directives to ensure fair and violence-free poll.

The state election commissioner reviewed the panchayat election meeting in detail with the divisional commissioner, range deputy inspector generals (DIG) of Tirhut, Darbhanga and Saran.

Divisional commissioner, Tirhut, S.M. Raju, Darbhanga DIG Nayyar Hasnain Khan, Saran DIG Sunil Kumar and DIG of Bettiah range Pankaj Darad besides the district magistrates and the superintendents of police of Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Madhubani, Chhapra, Motihari, West Champaran, Samastipur, Gopalganj, Siwan, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi and Sheohar districts attended the daylong meeting.

Dutta said polling would start at 7am and end at 3pm in the Maoist-hit blocks.

The district magistrates and the SPs have been directed to organise a meeting with the candidates in the fray for the panchayat elections to sort out complaints and asked them to co-operate in the polling process for conducting a peaceful election.