Election items rate fixed

SHILLONG, JAN 18: The rates for different items to be used by candidates during the election campaigns was fixed by the Standing Committee on Model Code of Conduct (SCMCC) of the East Garo hills district under the chairman Vijay Kumar Mantri on Friday.

The rates were fixed after all the SCMCC members concurred to the suggestion made by Mantri. He told this website that members of the recognised national and regional political parties are its members.

Mantri informed that district secretaries of the Congress, UDP and BJP attended the meeting. Saying that the need for fixing the rate of all items- PA system, foods for volunteers during election rally and others- are necessary as per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI) – so that calculating the expenditure of the candidates will be easy.

Mantri said that the rates have been approved after discussing with the representatives of all the political parties who attended the meeting. According to him, these rates will be part of the expenditure of Rs 8 lakhs fixed for each candidate by the ECI.

During the meeting three presentations were also made on different aspects of the election guidelines issued by the ECI. The presentation for election expenditure was made by additional deputy commissioner (election) SB Marak, the presentation for the moral code of conduct was made by Kharkutta Returning Officer MK Marak and the presentation on nomination was made Rongjeng Returning Officer Bhupesh Hajong.

The East  Garo hills district election department also undertook exercise to remove all the Christmas and New Year banners put up by different political personalities in the district as leaving them would amount to violation of the election code of conduct. – By Our Reporter