Poll code of conduct: Octroi removal hangs fire

Decisions taken before election dates' announcement cannot be implemented.

The scrapping of octroi has been put in abeyance after the code of conduct came into force with the declaration of the Assembly poll dates in Gujarat. Any government decision taken prior to the announcement of election dates cannot be implemented by the state government while the code of conduct is in effect.

The state government had declared that octroi would be scrapped from November 15 this year. Now when the code of conduct has been imposed on the state the question arises, will octroi go from November 15 as promised by the state government?

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) N Gopalaswamy, who was in Ahmedabad today threw the ball in the state government's court. When asked Gopalaswamy said, "We have not yet received any written request or complaints from state till now. When something comes in writing we will consider the issue."

He also said that he had conveyed to the state not to carry out back-dated transfers or appointments. "We received complaints that there were some advertisements in the local news papers today regarding appointments. We have asked the local administration not to carry our back-dated appointments or transfers as the code of conduct has been imposed in the state.

The removal of octroi had become a major issue for the ruling BJP's future and the state government had declared that the octroi will be removed from November 15 on the auspicious day of Labh Panchami.

This was taken seen as a desperate measure by the ruling BJP to appease the agitating traders. An amendment bill was also passed during the last assembly elections deleting the term octroi. However, now the question is whether the trading community will get the promised gift on Labh Panchami.

The state authorities have to give in written to the EC about the issue and the EC can then take steps regarding that.

Many in the political circles believe that the BJP wants to make this point into an issue and has not yet given anything in writing.

Talking of the action taken by the Election Commission's five-member review team, Gopalaswamy said, "We have held meetings with the chief secretary, director general of police, district magistrates of various districts. We have received some complaints that some paintings and writings have been done on walls at some places in many cities by some anonymous organisation which are of communal nature. We have asked the authorities to remove these writings and take action. We also came to know that there are hoarding and sign boards put at some villages saying, "Welcome to the (village name) of Hindu Rashtra." "We have asked the authorities to remove such signs," Gopalaswamy added.

"No government banners, hoarding will be put in the state during the code of conduct and the existing ones will be removed. We have taken a law and order situation review of various districts and asked the authorities to seal the borders of the districts' which are adjoining the other states or nation. This measure will ensure that no liquor is brought in or no bogus voters can come in the state from other states. We have also asked the authorities to remove the names of the dead voters' from the voting lists," he added.

Replying to the allegations by some political parties regarding the two phase polls in Gujarat CEC clarified, "During the Kerala polls we were asked for 320 companies of armed personnel for a single day of poll or 125 companies for two-phase poll.

However, we had only 25 companies so we allowed them three-phased polls. In West Bengal we allowed them five-day polls because there were over 50,000 polling stations and over 38,000 polling locations which were to be managed with officials and paramilitary forces.

WB needed 2,750 companies of armed forces. Now, in comparison with WB, Gujarat has 20 per cent less polling stations and 40 per cent lesser number of polling locations so a two-phased poll is justified," Gopalaswamy said.