New Delhi, May 20
The Election Commission has “severely reprimanded” Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for violating the model code of conduct by combining official visits from Chandigarh to Tarn Taran and Moga with election campaign visit to Amritsar.
In an order issued this evening, the commission directed Badal to pay the government for air travel from Chandigarh to Tarn Taran and from Chandigarh to Moga to the government “immediately and latest by 4 pm on May 21” and send a compliance report to the commission.
The commission noted that after considering all material facts, “the model code of conduct and instructions of the Election Commission of India have been intemperately and blatantly violated in letter and spirit by a very senior level political functionary holding a constitutional position, which makes it all the more serious and therefore the commission hereby severely reprimands Parkash Singh Badal for the violation.”
It categorically directed Badal to reimburse the expenses on air travel from Chandigarh to Tarn Taran and from Chandigarh to Moga to the government. “This may be done either by
Parkash Singh Badal in his individual capacity or by the SAD from its account as Badal is one of the leaders mentioned in the list submitted by the SAD for the purposes of Section 77(1) of the Representation of the Peoples Act, 1951, for the current byelection from 19-Amritsar (South) AC,” the order stated.
The order is clear that the reimbursement of the amount to the government should be done “immediately and latest by 4 pm on May 21 and a compliance report should be sent to the commission immediately”.
The commission said it had come to its notice that Badal made official visits from Chandigarh to Tarn Taran and Moga in a state helicopter. He then combined these with visits to Amritsar where byelection to 19-Amritsar south Assembly constituency is going on. As per the records, Badal visited Tarn Taran in a state helicopter on April 28, May 1, 3, 6 and May 8 and Moga on May 15. On the same dates, he travelled to Amritsar from Tarn Taran and Moga in an official car.
The order said Badal, in his letter dated May 20 while replying to the commission’s notice of May 19, admitted that air journeys from Chandigarh to Tarn Taran and Moga were in violation of commission’s directions contained in its letter dated June 12, 2003, and said these journeys may be treated as private journeys.
The schedule for holding the byelection to 19-Amritsar south Assembly constituency was announced on April 16.
Sub-para (i) (a) and (b) of Para-VII (Party in Power) of the model code of conduct for the guidance of political parties and candidates provides that “(a) The ministers shall not combine their official visit with electioneering work and shall not also make use of official machinery or personnel during the electioneering work. (b) Government transport, including official air-craft, vehicles, machinery and personnel, shall not be used for furthering interest of the party in power.”
Moreover, the direction of the commission in its letter No. 437/6/4/2003-PLN-III, dated June 12, 2003, stipulates that “all ministers whether Central or state shall not combine in any manner their official tours with election work after the announcement of the byelection. They shall return to their headquarters on the completion of their official tours. All and any visits to the district(s) where a byelection is being held and where the model code of conduct is, therefore, in force, have to be completely private in nature and such private visits should begin and end at the minister’s headquarters.”
