Bhubaneswar: The State Election Commission (SEC) formed Thursday a panel led by Chief Secretary SC Mahapatra to examine allegations on violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for the upcoming urban local body (ULB) polls.
“The SEC, Odisha has constituted a screening committee headed by the Chief Secretary, Odisha for examining proposals relating to Model Code of Conduct before the same is forwarded to the Commission for clearance with full details and a note of urgency,” read an order issued by the SEC.
Principal Secretary of General Administration and Public Grievances (GA&PG) department has been appointed as a member of the panel while the third member will be the additional chief secretary or secretary of the concerned department to which the proposal is related.
The panel will examine why the proposal/petition can’t wait till completion of the elections during the enforcement of MCC for the ensuing general elections to ULBs, 2022.
After examining the proposal, the panel will send it to the SEC for necessary action. No proposal shall be forwarded to the Commission directly without prior approval of the screening committee, said the order.
Meanwhile, in another order, the Commission clarified that the MCC will also be applicable to the employees of municipalities, NACs, municipal corporations, development authorities, regional improvement trusts and all such offices located in concerned ULBs till March 26, 2022.
Filing of nominations for election of various posts in 109 civic meanwhile continued Thursday also. It will continue till March 7.
As per schedule, scrutiny of the papers will be done March 9 and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is March 14 (excluding government holidays).
The elections will be held March 24 and the result will be declared March 26. Over 41 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes in the urban polls.
Approximately 27 lakh voters will exercise their franchise in 3,030 booths of 1,731 wards belonging to 106 Municipalities and NACs. In the three corporations, 14.26 lakh people will vote in 168 wards and 1,407 booths.
Nomination papers are available for the post of Mayor and Corporators in three Municipal Corporations of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Berhampur while the nominations for Chairpersons and Councillors are available at the EO office in 47 municipalities, 59 NACs.
PNN