After the raids conducted in several printing press the district administration convened a meeting of local printing press operators on Thursday. They were asked to firmly comply with the guidelines issued by Election Commission for printing publicity materials to be used in State Assembly elections.
District Collector Siddhartha Komal Singh Pardeshi, Additional Collector Mahadeo Kaware talked with the printing press operator over the issue.
Collector Pardeshi said that the aim of rules formulated for printing press is to keep a check on the poll expenditure of candidates. He asked the printers to keep undertakings of printed matter in two copies. “Stern action would be taken against printers who violate the model code of conduct,” Collector Pardeshi warned.
Notably the district administration’s teams had sealed four printers in the last two days for breaching the model code of conduct. Police have filed a first information report against Shriram Printer owner Dharamlal Agrawal -who used to give the name of Arti Printer, Champa, as print line during the printing of election materials- on the recommendation of the district administration.
Assistant Returning Officer Hemant Matspal had conducted the raid and found the printer guilty of violating model code of conduct and People’s Representative Act 1951. Sections 417 and 468 of the IPC have also been imposed in the case. Kaware said that the printers failed to show the work order and other related documents to prove their innocence.