ECI appoints Agarwal as new Jalandhar DC
Chandigarh: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday appointed Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Agarwal as new DC of Jalandhar, two days after incumbent Vishesh Sarangal was transferred on its order. Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C said that Sarangal has now been moved to Gurdaspur as Deputy Commissioner in place of Himanshu Agarwal. Notably, on Tuesday, the ECI had issued directions for the transfer of Sarangal, an IAS officer, while making it clear that he should not be posted in his home district. Also, it must be ensured that the officer is transferred out of the district and not posted within the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency.
ECI transferred ADGP (Ropar range), DIG (border range)
Chandigarh: Days after the ECI had ordered transfer of Punjab ADGP (Ropar range) Jaskaran Singh and DIG (border range) Narinder Bhargav, it has appointed Jagdale Nilambari Vijay as the DIG Ropar Range, while Rakesh Kumar Kaushal has been appointed as DIG, Border Range. These two officers have also been asked to be transferred out of the district and not posted within the same parliamentary constituency. Notably, both these police officers are going to retire in April and June respectively.
ECI transfers five SSPs in Punjab, including Bathinda
Chandigarh: Total five Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) from Pathankot, Fazilka, Jalandhar Rural, Malerkotla and Bathinda have been transferred on ECI orders with immediate effect. The transfer came after the ECI on Thursday ordered immediate transfers of several non-cadre officers who are posted at leadership positions as District Magistrate (DM) and Superintendent of Police (SP) in four states, including Punjab. ECI stated that the posts of DM and SP in the districts are encadred for officers from Indian Administrative and Indian Police Service, respectively. The move has been initiated to ensure a level-playing field for the ongoing exercise for Lok Sabha elections. Bathinda SSP have been transferred by the ECI in view of his kinship or familial association with the elected political representatives “as a pre-emptive measure to dispel any apprehensions of administration being biased or perceived to be compromised”.
BJP appoints incharges, co-incharges in Haryana
Chandigarh: BJP on Thursday appointed its in-charges and co in-charges for the Lok Sabha elections in Haryana. As per approved by the BJP national president JP Nadda, Satish Punia has been appointed as in-charge and Surendra Singh Nagar as co-incharge.
Divyang and elderly voters will receive necessary facilities: Hry CEO
Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anurag Agarwal on Thursday said that for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, the Election Department has made special arrangements at polling stations for Divyang and voters aged 85 and above to exercise their voting rights conveniently. He said that to ensure easy access for Divyang and elderly voters, arrangements such as ramps, wheelchair facilities, assistance in bringing and taking them, medical kits, etc, will be provided at polling stations, along with the deployment of NSS and NCC volunteers. The Commission has also developed the ‘Saksham app’ to provide election-related information to Divyang voters. He added that most polling stations in the State are set up in schools, and teachers should provide children with information about voting process and encourage them to create awareness about voting with their parents and others. On voting day, when their parents come to cast their votes, they should also come along and take a selfie, uploading it to their social media accounts, he added.
State-level MCMC constituted in Haryana
Chandigarh: Haryana CEO Anurag Agarwal on Thursday said that during Lok Sabha elections 2024, proper adherence to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) should be ensured. For this purpose, Media Certification and Monitoring Committees (MCMCs) have been formed at the State and district levels to keep a vigilant eye on political advertisements, paid news, and fake news and to grant certification for them. The MCMC, chaired by the CEO at the state-level, will decide on appeals of any political party or candidates or any other person in regard to grant or refuse certification of advertisements. Such appeals will lie only with and will be disposed of by the State Level Committee headed by CEO. No reference in this regard needs to be made to the Commission. Besides, examining all cases of ‘Paid News’ on appeal against the decision of District Level Media Certification and Monitoring Committee or cases that they may take up suo-moto, in which case it shall direct the concerned ROs to issue notices to the candidates, he added.
HP Govt’s Rs 1500 honorarium for women under EC lens
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana, providing Rs 1500 monthly honorarium for the state’s unemployed women in the age bracket of 18 to 60 years, has come under the Election Commission’s scanner, with the poll panel asking the state’s CEO Maneesh Garg to send details about forms filled for the benefit before the model code of conduct came into force for the Lok Sabha elections on March 16. The hill state goes to the polls in the seventh and final phase on June 1. At the same time, the funds for the scheme has been put on hold. Notably, the Congress led state government had issued a notification for implementing the scheme on March 14 — two days before the Lok Sabha elections were announced and the model code came into effect. The announcement for the same was made by the Chief Minister on March 4, stating that it would benefit more than five lakh women.
Chandigarh poll panel enforces strict printing regulations
Chandigarh: As the Chandigarh election commission is bracing for polling on June 1, 2024; it has enforced stringent regulations on printing election materials. “Under Section 127-A of the Representation of People Act, 1951, all election pamphlets and posters must prominently display printer and publisher details, with violators facing imprisonment for up to six months. Publishers must furnish a signed declaration of identity, attested by two known individuals, to printers before printing any election material. Printers are then required to submit a copy of the printed declaration and document to the Chief Electoral Officer of UT, Chandigarh, within 72 hours, said the directives issued by Chandigarh Returning Officer Vinay Pratap Singh. He also made it clear that any method used to reproduce documents, except manual copying, falls under the definition of printing, subject to the same regulations. Authorities emphasize strict enforcement and readiness to take stringent action against violators to maintain transparency and integrity in the electoral process.