Officials of the State Estate department have been directed to immediately remove the red beacons from the vehicles provide to Cabinet Ministers and position holders. They were also told to ensure that the Government-provided vehicles of the Cabinet Ministers is used only for official work and commuting between the official residence and the Government office. These and other instructions were issued at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary S Ramaswamy at the secretariat with departmental officials regarding the free, unbiased and systematic Vidhan Sabha election 2017.
In the meeting, the state’s chief electoral officer Radha Raturi informed all the officials present about the model code of conduct for Vidhan Sabha elections and the various directions and guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India regarding the implementation of the model code of conduct. Furthermore, officials of the State Estate department were issued instructions to immediately remove red-beacons from the official vehicles of the cabinet ministers and other position-holders. They were also told to ensure that the ministers use their official vehicles only for official work and for the commute between their official residence and office. Regarding the use of the government guest houses, a general and similar system should be facilitate for all. Facilities being provided to the various position holders should be reviewed immediately according to the directions and guidelines of the Election Commission of India and the facilities which are to be discontinued should be removed without delay. The CEO informed that in case the work of removing encroachments in residential areas causes displacement of the people, such action should stopped immediately because such action affects the rights of the voters to vote. She directed officials of various departments that no type of transfer should be executed and in case any government employee has been transferred, he or she should not be relieved from the department concerned till the end of the Vidhan Sabha election procedure.
Rejecting the request for exemption from election duty by the employees in forest, finance and various other departments, the chief secretary said that the district magistrate concerned who is also the district election officer will take the final decision regarding the election duty. None of the departments will be provided full exemption from the election duty. Officials of the rural development department were directed that no new fund be released under the MP and MlA funds.
Additionally, approval should not be granted to any new works. Departmental officials were also directed to desist from broadcasting any such type of advertisement till February 15, which can be used to influence the voters. In the case of extreme necessity, only informational advertisements can be published but any type of achievements cannot be publicised through the same. It was also informed in the meeting that there will be a bar on tender advertisements for new works initiated by construction-related departments till February 15. Officials of the home department were directed that in case it is necessary to take a decision in a parole-related matter, the same should be referred to the election office. Further, the procedure for filling posts in the power department, other departments, corporations and other bodies should not be undertaken. In case any procedure is on, the result of the same should be declared only after the election. Personnel of the education and other departments were told that the leave of employees be cancelled and they be called back to the head quarters so that the election-related training can be conducted. The CEO said that in case the executing agency or contractors have completed their work, payments can be made to them. The additional CEO SA Murugeshan, V Shanmugam, Neeraj Khairwal and other officials concerned were also present in the meeting.