State seeks addl forces
SHILLONG: The State Government has sought an additional thirty companies of paramilitary forces for the smooth conduct of polls in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) slated on February 24.
Informing this here on Tuesday, Commissioner and Secretary of District Council Affairs Jopthiaw Lyngdoh said that a proposal in this regard has been sent to Centre.
According to him, there are 25 existing companies deputed by the Centre in the state, out of which 15 are exclusively for militancy-infested Garo Hills region.
He informed that notification for the elections will be issued on February 5.
The filing of nomination papers will start from February 5 and the last date will be on February 10, till 3 pm to be followed by scrutiny of nomination papers after 3 pm, he informed.
Reacting to a query, he stated that the model code of conduct would come into effect on February 5.
“The model code of conduct restricts the implementation of the MDC schemes and also MLA schemes in case where sitting legislators are contesting the elections besides the use of numbers of vehicles and loud speakers for campaigning,” he said. Asked if the None of the Above (NOTA) option would be added in the EVMs, he said Government would seek views from the Advocate General on the matter in the next review meeting.
It may be mentioned that the State Government has procured over four hundred seventeen EVMs and have ordered for another 1925 EVMs for conducting elections in all the three district councils , adding the total expenditure for the conduct of the elections in the two ADCs is estimated at Rs 9.6 crore.
According to Lyngdoh, the expenditure slab for the candidates has been fixed at Rs 2.5 lakh and even the accounts of candidates would be checked to ensure candidates do not cross the expenditure slab.
He also asserted that in the last 2009 elections, in KHADC the total number of electorate was 4.70 lakh and JHADC was 1.55 lakh.