Port Blair, Feb 07: As part of the ensuing General Elections to Panchayat and Municipal Council, media briefing was held in the conference hall in the Office of Director (Panchayat and Municipal Election).
Addressing the media persons present on the occasion, the DPME, Mr. Suneel Anchipaka, IAS informed that the filing of nominations by the candidates is underway soon after the notification for Elections-2022 was issued. He said Political Parties and the contesting candidates should strictly adhere to the advisory issued by MHA, MOHFW, Govt. of India and UT Administration from time to time. Any lapse on this count will be viewed seriously, he said.
The DPME stated that number of persons to accompany candidate for submission of Nomination papers is restricted to two and the number of vehicles for the purposes of nomination is also restricted to two. For door-to-door Campaign, a group of 5 persons including the candidate, excluding security personnel, if any, is allowed to do door-to-door campaigning.
The DPME said no ‘Road Shows’ and Public Gatherings/Rallies is allowed till further directions from the Commission. However, campaign convoy of maximum 3 vehicles (excluding security vehicles, if any) will be allowed subject to the condition that the convoys should keep moving and no public is allowed to gather around these convoys.
The DPME, A&N Islands warned that anybody violating instructions on COVID-19 measures will be liable to prosecuted as per the provisions of Section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, besides legal action under Section 188 of the 1PC, and other legal provisions as applicable.
The DPME further stated that the Election Commission has laid down procedure/guidelines for facilitating voting through postal ballot by the absentee voters i.e. senior citizen category (AVSC), absentee voters belonging to PWD category (AVPD), absentee voters belonging to COVID 19 category (AVCO) and persons on Election Duty (including police personnel)(PED).
The DPME clarified that, if at the time of election, any elector is hospitalized on account of COVID-19, in a hospital within the UT or is in Home/Institutional Quarantine on account of COVID-19 and hence not in a position to cast vote personally at the polling station as per medical advice and, if such elector makes a request for issue of Postal Ballot, the RO concerned, on being satisfied about the genuineness of the application in terms of guidelines issued by the Commission in this regard, shall provide the postal ballot to the elector. The RO shall make arrangement to deliver the Postal Ballot and to get the same collected back from the said elector before the date fixed for poll in the Constituency/Ward. The team of polling officials shall visit the electors at the address mentioned in their application in Form 27 for facilitating their voting by postal ballot paper. The electors will be intimated, in advance, about the date and approximate time of visit of poll officials.
If the elector is not present at the given address at the first visit, the team shall pay a second visit after leaving intimation about the time of second visit, If the elector is not present even at the second visit, no further visit or action is required in his/her case.
Separate team of poll officers to be constituted who shall visit the house of the electors for facilitating their votes by Postal Ballot Paper intimating the elector in advance about the visit. The team shall collect back the Postal Ballot Paper after casting of vote and shall hand over back to Returning Officers
The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is already in force and Flying squad is moving around to check the MCC violations. The DPME, Islands said that Control Room with Ph. Nos 230178, 238881, 240127, toll free no.1077 is functioning round the clock, wherein violations of MCC, if any, can be reported immediately for taking necessary action against the violators. He also urged the media persons to report the violations of MCC, if they come across, in these phone numbers for taking strict action against the violators.
