 "EC flooded with clarifications on Model Code")
Peeved at various ministries and departments directly seeking clarification on applicability of Model Code of Conduct, the Election Commission has shot off a letter to the Cabinet Secretariat asking it to ensure that all such requests are routed through it.
The state governments have been asked to direct their requests through the Chief Electoral Officers.
"In spite of the guidelines, the references from central government are being directly received in the Commission without routing through the Cabinet Secretariat.
It said the Commission had in March 2009 itself issued guidelines regarding implementation and processing of various projects, schemes and rural development programmes by the central and state governments.
"In item No 14 of the said guidelines, it was clearly mentioned that all Government of India references to the Election Commission shall be made preferably through the Cabinet Secretariat.
"In so far as reference from state governments is concerned, the same shall be made to the Election Commission of India through the Chief Electoral Officer of the state concerned," the EC said.
It said various ministries and departments keep forwarding references without examining the matter in the light of various standard instructions and guidelines of the Commission already available on the website.
The poll body has reiterated that all the references of Government of India which are proposed to be placed before the Cabinet or any Committee of the Cabinet should be routed through the Cabinet Secretariat and no such references should be made directly to the Election Commission by the ministries.
In a word of warning to Chief Electoral Officers, it said they should avoid references to the Commission in cases where there are clear-cut instructions of the Commission to deal with such case.
"Only such references shall be made to the Election Commission where there is doubt whether the issues are covered under the existing instructions of the Commission or not," the directive said.
The state governments have been asked to direct their requests through the Chief Electoral Officers.
"In spite of the guidelines, the references from central government are being directly received in the Commission without routing through the Cabinet Secretariat.
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"Further, departments, sub-departments, Public Sector Undertakings, autonomous bodies of the ministry/department are also forwarding references to the Election Commission directly. As a result innumerable references are pouring in, including those cases which have no urgency and which can wait till elections are over," the poll panel said.
It said the Commission had in March 2009 itself issued guidelines regarding implementation and processing of various projects, schemes and rural development programmes by the central and state governments.
"In item No 14 of the said guidelines, it was clearly mentioned that all Government of India references to the Election Commission shall be made preferably through the Cabinet Secretariat.
"In so far as reference from state governments is concerned, the same shall be made to the Election Commission of India through the Chief Electoral Officer of the state concerned," the EC said.
It said various ministries and departments keep forwarding references without examining the matter in the light of various standard instructions and guidelines of the Commission already available on the website.
The poll body has reiterated that all the references of Government of India which are proposed to be placed before the Cabinet or any Committee of the Cabinet should be routed through the Cabinet Secretariat and no such references should be made directly to the Election Commission by the ministries.
In a word of warning to Chief Electoral Officers, it said they should avoid references to the Commission in cases where there are clear-cut instructions of the Commission to deal with such case.
"Only such references shall be made to the Election Commission where there is doubt whether the issues are covered under the existing instructions of the Commission or not," the directive said.