Punjab Government on Thursday directed all the Deputy Commissioners to declare all polling booths set up for the elections to civic bodies, as ‘no smoking zones’. The orders, issued on Thursday for upcoming municipal corporation elections, have also asked the DCs to put a signage at prominent places to warn the public regarding this.
The elections to six municipal corporations and 122 municipal council and nagar panchayats are scheduled to be held in Punjab on February 22 and 25 respectively.
It was imperative for DCs to issue instructions to depute nodal officers to challan any offender found smoking in and around the booths and impose a fine of Rs200 on the person, said the Punjab Government spokesperson.
He said that all the DCs have also been instructed to put up boards in the polling booths indicating the name and phone number of nodal officer where public could register their complaints regarding any offender.
FEB 22 DEClARED a PAID HOlIDAY
To enable the workers working in factories, shops and commercial establishments situated in Punjab to exercise their democratic right in general elections of six municipal corporation, the state labour Department on Thursday declared February 22, 2015, as weekly paid holiday in the State.
It would be a paid holiday within the municipal limits of six municipal corporation namely Pathankot. Phagwara (Kapurthala), Hoshiarpur, Bhatinda, Moga, SAS Nagar (Mohali) and two wards (8 and 46) of Municipal Corporation Patiala and one ward (49) of Municipal Corporation Jalandhar, said the department spokesperson.
According to a separate notification, February 22 would also be weekly paid holiday for all factories, shops and commercial establishments where Sunday is not observed as weekly off within the state in lieu of their normal weekly holiday.
SEC APPOINTS ElECTION OBSERVERS
State Election Commission on Thursday appointed 39 election observers for smooth and fare conduction of forthcoming Municipal Elections. Out of this, 10 observers have been appointed specially for the Municipal Corporations elections and 29 for Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayats, said official spokesperson of the Commission.