By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 7 Jan: Ahead of the upcoming civic elections, the State Election Commission has enforced strict guidelines for all departments during the period when Model Code of Conduct is in force. The Commission has mandated that any permission requests must be routed exclusively through the District Magistrate (DM), Secretary, or Principal Secretary of the relevant department. The State Election Commission has made it clear that requests sent directly by departments will not be considered.
In a directive issued today, the State Election Commission observed that there has been a sharp increase in direct submissions from departments seeking permissions or relaxations. In response, Election Commissioner Sushil Kumar has issued a directive to all Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, and District Magistrates. The directive observes that any direct correspondence from departments is against the established protocol and made it clear that such submissions would not be entertained. It has also been reiterated that the Model Code of Conduct applies exclusively to the urban areas where the process for the municipal polls is underway. The Commission asserted that all requests for permissions must adhere to the proper channels to ensure compliance with election protocols.
State Election Commissioner Kumar in his directive underscored the importance of maintaining discipline in correspondence during the model code of conduct period, urging departments to follow the prescribed guidelines to avoid unnecessary complications.
It may be recalled that the State Election Commission has approved several tenders related to the National Games, which were previously pending due to the enforcement of the code of conduct. This clearance aims to prevent delays in the preparations for the games due to be held later this month.
