M A I N   N E W S

Drop photos of Vajpayee from PDS carrybags: CEC to Himachal Govt
Rakesh Lohumi/TNS

Shimla, October 7
The much-hyped scheme under which free carrybags with a colour image of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee were being supplied to ration card holders has been grounded, with the Election Commission (EC) imposing a ban on the distribution of material carrying pictures of political leaders.

The scheme was launched last month and carrybags for rations were to be supplied to over 16 lakh card holders. An amount of over Rs 2 crore was spent on the scheme.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) VS Sampath, who was here along with other members to review arrangements for the elections, said opposition parties had complained about the scheme and alleged that it was a blatant misuse of government funds to influence voters. There would be no further distribution of these bags, he said.

He asked the government to shift Kullu Deputy Commissioner Amitabh Awasthy as he was not from the IAS cadre. Orders were issued and he was replaced by RN Batta, Director of the Rural Development Department.

Gurdev, Superintendent of Police, Baddi, who was not from the IPS cadre, was replaced by Arul Kumar, Additional Superintendent of Police, Shimla.

The CEC spared Lahaul-Spiti Deputy Commissioner SS Guleria, who was also not from the IAS cadre, on the plea that it was a difficult and far-flung area and a new incumbent would not have the time get acquainted with the topography.

Sampath also ordered the removal of hoardings publicising the achievements of the BJP regime. The state also wanted similar action on hoardings of the Centre displaying schemes like the MNREGA.

He said the commission had also received complaints from political parties regarding the working of the Shimla Doordarshan centre and the matter would be taken up with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Regarding the complaint of re-employment and extension granted to government officials, he said normally, any such official on sensitive post from the election point of view was removed forthwith. The commission would get detailed information from the government and take appropriate action in the matter, he added.

He said the commission was satisfied with election preparedness, particularly with the fact that 100 per cent of the voters had been issued electoral photo identity cards.

With the initiative of the commission, almost 97 per cent of the voters had been registered and 80 per cent of the new voters in the age group of 18 to 19 years had been enrolled.