The State Election Commission (SEC) has ordered the State Government employees to scrupulously adhere to Model Code of Conduct and be neutral during the ensuing Panchayat polls. The citizens should have faith in their conduct and they should not suspect that the State employees are supporting one party or the other.
The General Administration Department of the State Government in a circular has ordered all top officers, department heads, Commissioners and Collectors to follow the Election Code of Conduct and implement it strictly. The public sector undertakings, corporations and boards should adhere to Model Code of Conduct from the date of announcement of polls till the results day.
The State Government expects the polls are conducted in democratic manner by all the parties concerned. There should not be any suspicion that State Government departments and employees are backing some party or the other.
Apart from candidates contesting elections the Election Code of Conduct is meant for the Government officers and employees also. In any case relating to violation of Code of Conduct the poll officers concerned can contact the State Election Commission.
No new policy announcements should be made by any State Government departments, no employee should be transferred and no steps should be taken as to influence the elections. Guest houses and other facilicities should not be allowed for electoral canvassing. The State Government employees should not accompany the candidates where Panchayat elections are being held. Only the personnel of security agencies should accompany MPs, MlAs and other people’s representatives.
State Election Commissioner P C Dalei on January 9 had also stated that opponents should not rake-up issues on the personal lives of leaders which has nothing to do with elections. The candidates should respect the personal lives of their opponents. Protests should not be held in front of the houses of opponents, he had stated. The Election Code of Conduct for the candidates contesting the Panchayat elections is being closely monitored by the State Election Commission , Dalei said.
The candidates should follow model code of conduct on the number of vehicles used for rallies, meetings and other rules laid down by the authorities. He said that no candidate or party should hurt the religious sentiments of the masses and create unrest in the society. The candidates should not take aid of caste or religious feelings to garner votes.
Temples, mosques and churches should not be used for campaigning. The political parties and candidates should desist from violating the Model Code of Conduct. The pamphlets, posters, advertisements and other material should contain the name of publisher and his or her full address, he said.
Nobody should try to create trouble at a public meeting, bribe the voters and give gifts to lure votes, canvassing within a radius of prohibited 100 meters from the polling booth , conduct public meeting a day before or on the day of polling, providing transport to voters, disturbing the polling officers on duty and voting in others’ names, Dalei said.
Alcohol should not be distributed two days prior to the polling day and on the day of voting by the contesting candidates and their followers. The candidates should not use the land, buildings, wall of private citizens for hoisting party flag,pasting poster, writing slogans without the permission of the owners.
The rival candidates should not remove the posters of others, he said.. The identity slips given to the voters should be on a plain paper and the name of candidates and election symbol should not be printed.
The identity slip should only consist of voter’s name, father or husband’s name, ward number, polling centre number and number of voter in poll list. The candidates should co-operate with the polling officers and others on duty for the smooth conduct of elections, he said. As per the instructions of Election Commission of India, intense review of the last part of electoral rolls concerning service staff as on January 1, 2015 is underway in Chhattisgarh.
Person, who posses service qualification and are of age 18 years or above, may register their names as service voter. The qualified person, who had earlier registered as electoral, will also have to fill form-2 or 3 (as per the rules) again and will have to submit the same with affidavit at record office or the concerned authority.
This form should reach District Election Officer of the respective record office by January 31, 2015. Dalei has appealed that to register their name as service staff, people associated with service sector like Armed Forces personnel, Central Industrial Security Force or posted outside the State may submit their completely filled form (as prescribed) at record office/office of the competent authority till January 31.