Vijayawada: Over 2 lakh staff to be drafted for ZPTC, MPTC elections

Vijayawada: The State Election Commission has begun gigantic task of conducting polls to 660 ZPTCs and 9,984 MPTCs. The total strength of voters is 2,82,15,104 and the total polling stations in the State are 33,663.

The polls will be held on March 21 and results will be announced on March 24.

State Election Commissioner N Ramesh Kumar addressing a media conference on Saturday said that 1,04,487 sensitive polling stations were identified in the State. The Election Commission also identified 11,251 hyper-sensitive polling stations. In all, 2,01,978 polling staff will be drafted for the Election duty.

Elections observers appointed: Ramesh Kumar further said that 15 IAS officers will be appointed as Elections Observers and another 15 IAS officers will be appointed as Expenditure Observers. District Collectors and Superintendents of Police were given powers to conduct the polls peacefully. Ramesh Kumar said the election code came into force with immediate effect at 11 am on March 7.

Referring to election code, he said announcement of new projects or programmes or concessions or financial grants in any form or promises thereof or laying of foundations stones, etc which have the effect of influencing the voters in favour of the party in power is prohibited.

Election Code of Conduct: He further said the restrictions apply equally to new schemes and also ongoing schemes. But it does not mean that in the case of national, regional and State utility schemes, which have already been brought up to the stage of completion, their utilisation or functioning in public interest should be stopped or delayed.

He said no fresh sanctions for governmental schemes should be made. Review by political executive (Ministers etc) and processing of beneficiary oriented schemes, even if ongoing should be stopped till completion of elections, Ramesh Kumar clarified.

No fresh release of funds on welfare schemes and works should be made or contract for works awarded in any part of the State where election is in progress without prior permission of the Commission. These include works under the Member of Parliament (Including Rajya Sabha members) local area development fund or MLAs/MLCs local area development fund, if any such schemes in operation in the State.

The Commissioner said no work shall start in respect of which even if work orders have been issued before the model code came into effect, if the works have actually not started in the field.

These works can start only after the completion of election process. He informed that if a work has actually started that can continue as usual.

He has made it clear that there shall be no bar to the release of payments for the completed works or works subject to the full satisfaction of the concerned officials.