Collector and district election officer P Dayanand, at a press meet held here on Tuesday, while giving detailed information regarding administrative preparations done so far in the district for the smooth conduct of Assembly election, said that the election commission would do complete monitoring on the advertisements published in newspapers and on paid news.
The Press Council has considered such news or such election analysis, for the publication of which fees has been paid, as paid news.
It was told in the meeting that a district media certification and monitoring committee (MCMC) has been constituted for the monitoring of paid news and advertisements.
The committee will keep the newspaper cuttings of news and advertisements of political parties and candidates and on finding paid news cases, will inform the returning officer.
It has been provisioned in the instructions of the election commission that on getting information from the committed about paid news, the returning officer will serve notice on the candidate concerned within 96 hours that, why the expenditure not be included in the election expenses.
If the MCMC has not received reply from the candidate within 48 hours of serving the notice, the decision of the committee would be deemed as final.
The district election officer said that before releasing advertisements to cable television and TV channels, it is mandatory for the candidates to get certification of the advertisement from district level MCMC.
While giving information about the screening system formed by the election commission and its structure and works, the district election officer said that Video observation team, video review team, accounts team, complaints screening control room, call centre, flying squads, local observation team and expenditure screening cell etc have been formed for the observation of election expenditure.
He said that the flying squad has been formed for maintaining law and order and peace in the district. Joint team of police and administrative officers is at work during the period of election.