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No signs yet of conducting civic poll in Pondy

Rajesh Nair

Panel awaits reply on plea for additional forces

PONDICHERRY: The State Election Commission is yet to get a reply from the territorial administration to its request for additional forces, made two months ago, to conduct elections to local bodies.

The elections have not been held for the last three decades.

The delay in giving the approval by the Government has put the Election Commission in a tight situation.

The reason is that the revised Assembly electoral rolls would be announced on August 2 and according to an amendment of the Pondicherry Village Panchayats (Registration of Electors) Rules, 1974 the local bodies elections have to be conducted based on the latest Assembly electoral roll.

The notification issued to this effect says " the electoral roll of a panchayat village shall be prepared with reference to the qualifying date by the Electoral Registration Officer by integrating the particulars in the various entries available in such part or portion thereof, of the current electoral roll of the Pondicherry Legislative Assembly... "

This means that after the Assembly electoral rolls are announced the State Election Commission has to go in for a revision before conducting the local body election.

Sources in the State Election Commission say that there is no way that it can announce the election even if the Government sanctions the forces before August 2 because the panchayat election rules make it mandatory that at least 21 days' time should be there from the date of declaration of the election and final day of polling.

"Suppose the Commission is going to take up the revision of panchayat electoral roll after August 2 it would take about two months to complete it.

For practical reasons such as the festivals and monsoon, it would be difficult for the Commission to hold the election between September and December," the sources said.

Pressure is building on the administration to conduct the elections.

Recently, Union Minister for Panchayat Raj Mani Shankar Aiyar openly expressed the Centre's displeasure over the territorial administration's apathy in conducting the elections.

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