SHILLONG, JAN 21: The state government will seek 30 companies of additional paramilitary forces to ensure smooth elections to the district council elections in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) slated on February 24.
Meghalaya commissioner & secretary Jopthiaw Lyngdoh said, “We have submitted our proposal for another 30 companies of additional paramilitary forces for the smooth conduct of the district council elections in the areas of the two Autonomous District Councils of the state,” According to him, there are 25 existing companies deputed by the centre to the state, out of which 15 are exclusively for militancy infested Garo Hills region.
Lyngdoh told reporters that the model code of conduct for the two district councils will come into effect from the date the notification of election is issued on February 5 He said, “The model code of conduct restricts the implementation of the MDC schemes and also MLA schemes in case where sitting legislators are contesting the elections beside the use of numbers of vehicles and loud speakers for campaigning. ”
Lyngdoh said, “The state government will also issued formal orders to all contesting MLAs on restricting of MLA schemes in order to establish a level playing field.”
With regard to the election expenditure Lyngdoh informed that the ceiling on the candidates expenditure will be Rs 2.50 lakh each . He said, “The authorities will also check into the accounts of candidates to ensure there is no over spending on their side.”
Regarding the appointment of election observers, Lyngdoh said that the matter will be taken up in the next round of the review meeting with the deputy commissioners. He further informed only after the publication of the final electoral rolls that the numbers of electorate will also be known.
According to Lyngdoh, during the last 2009 elections, in KHADC the total number of electorate was 4.70 lakh and JHADC was 1.55 lakhs.
Stating that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be used during the MDCs elections, Lyngdoh revealed that the state government has procured over 417 EVMs and have ordered for another 1925 EVMs for the conduct of elections to the two ADCs. He further informed that total expenditure for the conduct of the elections in the two ADCs is estimated at Rs 9.6 crores.
It is worth mentioning that on September 27, 2013 the Supreme Court had made it mandatory for the inclusion of the None Of The Above (NOTA) option in the EVMs at the end of the list of candidates contesting an election in a constituency.
Accordingly the Election Commission of India had issued ordered on 13 October 2013 to the Chief Electoral Officers of all states and union territories to provide for the NOTA option in the EVMs and ballot papers.
On being asked whether the EVMs will have the NOTA option, Lyngdoh said the government would soon take a call on the matter after receiving formal views of the Advocate General.He said, “We will take a call after receiving the formal views of the Advocate General.”- By Our Reporter
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