Panchayat Elections: Prestige issue, aspirants throw expenditure norms to the wind
Though the state Election Commission has fixed an expenditure limit of Rs 40,000 for sarpanches in the panchayat poll, the expenses hold little or no meaning as the post of sarpanch is more of a prestige issue.
In villages having a population of around 700, the candidates reportedly end up spending Rs 5 lakh, while in big villages, the expenditure could easily touch Rs 30 lakh.
“If the authorities think that we can manage the campaign with Rs 40,000, then they are far from reality. Liquor and dinner costs a candidate somewhere between Rs 5,000 and 10,000 per day,” said an aspirant from Samana. “Even a simple lunch during a bhog can cost anywhere between Rs 15,000 and Rs 25,000,” said a politically active farmer of Jargarhi village.
A liquor contractor said, “A carton of whisky costs around Rs 4,500. Around 20 cartons are required in a small village while 30 to 50 cartons are needed in a big village. Sometimes, additional cartons have to be requisitioned to meet high demand.”
A former scribe said, “A lot of money is spent during the panchayat poll as candidates think it’s a launch pad to the Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha.”
“Apart from campaigning, the candidates spend a lot of money on buying liquor and hosting parties for their supporters,” says an SHO who’s tasked to check illegal liquor distribution. However, all candidates submit their expense statements keeping it within “limits” in accordance with the state Election Commission’s norms.
State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhary said he had directed the Deputy Commissioners to deploy adequate officers on field duty to check expenditure and use of money and liquor. “The panchayat elections are very different from the MLA and MP poll, given the fact that hundreds of villages in every district need supervision,” he said.
Chaudhary said they had already raised the limit by around 25 per cent in this poll and any candidate spending over the fixed limit would face stern action.
