The Election Commission on Wednesday issued a detailed list of dos and don'ts to central and state administrations and ministers, as part of the model code of conduct for the coming elections.
It asked the central and state governments not to let out dak bungalows, rest houses or any other government accommodation to politicians while the election process was underway. It also barred the release of funds under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme, as well as such schemes for members of legislative assemblies or legislative councils. Election officials would get precedence over political functionaries in securing accommodation in government rest houses, dak bungalows or any other government accommodation. The only exception to this rule, it said, were politicians with 'Z' category security, at the least. In such cases, these politicians could get government accommodation on an "equitable basis" with poll officials and that, too, only when "such accommodation is not already allotted or occupied by election-related officials or observers".
| CHASING THE POLL STAR |
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814 million Number of voters in the 2014 elections 100 million
Increase in number of voters since the 2009 elections
45 million Number of first-time voters 23.5 million Voters in the 18-19-year age bracket 930,000 Number of polling stations this year (12% more than in 2009) 12 million Number of people on election duty Battle for 543 Lok Sabha seats and three Assemblies (Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim) 72 days Duration of polls this year (75 days in 2009) 9 Number of phases for this year's elections |
The Commission said political functionaries securing government accommodation during the poll process "shall not carry out any political activity while staying in government guest houses, rest houses or other government accommodation". It instructed the Centre and states to stop, with immediate effect, any fresh release of funds under MPLAD schemes, including those of members of the Rajya Sabha. This followed various reports of politicians laying foundation stones for new projects, purportedly under these schemes, without the required paperwork and approvals.
"No work shall start in respect of which work orders have been issued before the issue of this letter, but the work has actually not started in the field," the directive said, adding, "These works can start only after the completion of the election process. However, if a work has actually started, that can continue…there shall be no bar to the release of payments for completed work(s), subject to the full satisfaction of the officials concerned."
It also directed chief secretaries and chief electoral officers of all states and Union territories to warn ministers "not to combine their official visit with electioneering work and not make use of official machinery or personnel during the electioneering work".
"Government transport, including official aircraft, vehicles, machinery and personnel, shall not be used for furtherance of the interest of the party in power," it said. The commission said a party in power shouldn't be allowed to monopolise pubic places such as maidans for holding election meetings. "Other parties and candidates shall be allowed the use of such places and facilities on the same terms and conditions on which they are used by the party in power."
The commission, with immediate effect, banned issuing advertisements at the cost of the public exchequer. It has also asked ministers and other authorities not to sanction grants or payments out of any discretionary quota or make any ad-hoc appointment.
