Adhere to election code, SEC tells parties

BHUBANESWAR: The State Election Commission (SEC) on Saturday urged all political parties to strictly adhere to the model code of conduct. The Commission said it would keep a close watch on the ruling, Opposition political parties as well as Government officers so that they do not violate the code.  Earlier, this month the SEC had raised the limit of poll expenditure. The expenditure ceiling was raised from Rs 30,000 to Rs 60,000 for ward member and panchayat samiti member. For the zilla parishad member it is Rs 1.5 lakh from the existing Rs 75,000. Ajit Kumar Tripathy, SEC, said the candidates must make sure that they do not cross their poll expenditure limit or else it will be deemed as corrupt practice. The whole election process, he informed, will entail an expenditure of Rs 56.23 crore. Necessary arrangements will be made for the sensitive and Naxal-affected areas. The Commission made it amply clear that there will be no restriction on ongoing post-calamity restoration and damage-repair works. Similarly, projects, which were announced in the Budget and approved by the Assembly, can continue. Similarly, ongoing projects with support from the Centre and international agencies can go ahead. However, no new projects, ground-breaking ceremony or foundation stone laying will be allowed during the period of restriction. Similarly, the Government cannot announce any new policies. Instruction has also been issued not to transfer any Government employee involved in election work without permission of the SEC. The Government employees, on their part, have been asked to remain neutral.BALLOTS: The SEC had earlier announced that electronic voting machines will not be used for polling this time. Instead, ballots will be used and photo IDs will have to be produced by the voters. Similarly, caste certificates have been made mandatory for the reserved category candidates during filing of nominations. This is done to eliminate fraudulent practices.