With a view to increase independent monitoring at the polling station level, the Election Commission of India has introduced the concept of “micro-observers”.

The micro-observers, chosen from among the Central Government and bank employees, are locals who are supposed to assist central observers during elections.

The micro-observers have been put on duty for the first time by the ECI during the assembly elections in the states. They would be present at the polling stations in areas which have been declared sensitive and super-sensitive across the state and would directly report to central observers.

The first set of over 350 micro-observers here for the seven assembly seats falling in district Bharatpur were trained by the central observers this evening.

Baburao Mudbi, commissioner social welfare Karnataka, and Dr Vijay Satbir Singh, secretary women and child development, Maharasthra, are the two central observers for the district.

The district would be getting seven more observers as it has been declared as super-sensitive by the ECI mainly due to the sharp caste-based divisions among the voters.

Other than Bharatpur, Dausa, Sawai Madhopur, Karoli and Alwar have been declared ‘super sensitive’. The micro-observers were told about their duties and asked to keep a strict check on the polling process.