The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Poll panel's nod for new works

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 04, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Poll panel's nod for new works

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, APRIL 3. The Election Commission has given clearance to new works under the Sampoorna Grameena Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) subject to availability of funds released by the Ministry of Rural Development directly to panchayats, prior permission from the district election officer (Collector) and provision in 2003-04 annual action plan.

The commission, however, disallowed any such new work or benefit under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) housing scheme and fresh assistance to self-help groups under Swarnajayanti gram Swrozgar Yojana (SGSY).

Explaining the commission's fresh guidelines received by the state election authorities today, the Additional Chief Electoral Officer, Ajay Sawhney, told reporters here this evening that the works which were in progress under SGRY might be continued and funds earmarked for these works could be released. If a panchayat completed on-going works and required new wage-employment works, it could go ahead if the funds were already released by the Ministry. He clarified that the beneficiaries who were sanctioned housing schemes under IAY could be assisted as per norms if the works were already grounded.

He said, no new constructions could be taken up or assistance sanctioned to fresh beneficiaries till the completion of elections, he said. Under SGSY, only those self-help groups which received part of the subsidy/grant would have to be provided with the balance instalments.

Indelible ink

The State has received its quota of indelible ink for the elections from Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited, a public sector undertaking.

In all, 1.23 lakh vials of the ink which is the requirement of the State against 56,033 polling stations, at the rate of two for each with 10 per cent to be kept as reserve, were received at Hyderabad today. The ink was despatched to districts as per their needs. The indelible ink, manufactured only by this Mysore-based PSU for the entire country, is to be used for marking the fingers of the voters— forefinger of the left arm in case of regular voters and middle finger of the same arm for proxy voters.

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