On the directives of Election Commission of India, media certification and monitoring committees (MCMC) have been constituted at State and district levels in Madhya Pradesh. The State level committee has been constituted at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer and district level MCMC at the district headquarters. The MCMCs are monitoring paid news and violation of model code of conduct suo motu. The district-level committees are submitting reports about paid news to district election officers.
C-Desk of Puna is regularly watching English and Hindi websites, political parties’ websites and other websites for which directives have been given, identifying paid news and making available information regarding these cases to MCMC. C-Desk and MCMCs are submitting daily reports to the Chief Electoral Officer. C-Desk has given user passwords to district election officers of all districts. They have been given facility to watch paper cuttings of paid news online.
Meanwhile, Election Commission’s IT Director VN Shukla imparted training through video-conference from New Delhi regarding posting of affidavits being filed by candidates for Vidhan Sabha elections in the state on website. District returning officers and election-related officers were apprised of Genesis software’s functioning. Chief Electoral Officer Jaideep Govind and Additional Chief Electoral Officer Vl Kantarao were also present on the occasion.
It was informed during the training that arrangement has been made in the software for displaying affidavits on website. Separate links have been given in it for educational qualification, details of moveable and immoveable property and other information given by candidates in affidavits. He has urged to upload candidates’ affidavits onwww.ceomadhyapradeh.nic.in through the software to bring about uniformity in affidavits.