New Delhi, March 1
The Election Commission has frozen the release of funds from the MP Local Area Development Fund (MPLAD) in any part of the country and imposed a ban on the transfer of officials connected with the conduct of polls following the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct till the completion of the election process.
“No fresh release of funds under the Member of Parliament (including nominated members of Rajya Sabha) Local Area Development Fund shall be made in any part of the country till the completion of the election process,” the EC said in its order to the Cabinet Secretary and Chief Secretaries of States and Union Territories.
Similarly, no fresh release of funds under the MLAs/MLCs Local Area Development Fund shall be made till the completion of the process, it said.
The EC said no work should start for which the work order had been issued earlier but the actual work had not started. “These can be started after the completion of the election process”, it said.
The order, however, clarified that if the work had started, it could continue.
There should be no bar to the release of payments for completed work, subject to the satisfaction of the officials concerned, it added.
The commission has imposed a total ban on the transfer of officials connected with the conduct of elections following the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct with the announcement of the poll schedule.
The ban on transfers covers the Chief Electoral Officer and Additional, Joint and Deputy CEOs, Divisional Commissioners, District Election Officers, ROs, AROs and Revenue Officers, Officers of the police department like range IGs and DIGs, SSP and SPs, sub-divisional level police officers like DSP and others, an EC order said.
“This ban shall be effective till the completion of the elections. The Commission further directs that the state government should refrain from making transfers of senior officers who have a role in the management of elections in the state”, it said.
The transfer orders issued prior to the announcement of the poll schedule but not implemented till date should not be given effect to without obtaining specific permission from the commission, the order said.
In cases where the transfer of an officer was absolutely necessary on account of administrative exigencies, the state government concerned may with full justification approach the commission for prior clearance.
The commission also banned the announcement of any financial grants in any form, laying of foundation of stones of projects or schemes, making any promise of construction of roads, provision of drinking water facilities and making any ad hoc appoints in government and public sector units.
