GOVERNMENT OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES SHOULD REFRAIN FROM ENGAGING IN ANY POLITICAL ACTIVITIES, DIRECTIONS ISSUED TO RETURNING OFFICERS TO PERSONALLY INSPECT POLLING STATIONS, BASIC PUBLIC AMENITIES SHOULD BE AVAILABLE AT ALL POLLING STATIONS, CEO
Face2News/Chandigarh
In view of the upcoming assembly elections scheduled on October 1, 2024, the Chief Electoral Officer, Haryana, Sh. Pankaj Agarwal, has directed the officers and employees of all departments in the state to ensure the fair, transparent and smooth completion of election-related tasks within their departments.
He said that any election-related duty assigned by the District Election Officer/Returning Officer should be performed without any negligence, so that elections can be conducted successfully and peacefully, which is a collective responsibility for all.
Sh. Pankaj Agarwal said that departments should ensure that every task related to election management is carried out promptly and properly by their departments, and that the arrangements provided by the department at the polling stations are adequately managed.
Sh. Pankaj Agarwal also said that under Section 134, anyone found guilty of violating official duties related to elections (election duty) can be punished. Under Section 134(a), if a person serving in the government works as an election agent, polling agent, or counting agent for any candidate in an election, he or she can be punished with imprisonment for up to three months or a fine.
He further directed the officers and employees of the state to keep themselves away from any kind of political activities, such as campaigning for political parties, becoming a booth agent, election agent, or counting agent.
He said that according to Section 129 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, no officer or clerk appointed to perform any duty in connection with an election shall in the conduct or the management of the election do any act (other than the giving of vote) for the furtherance of the prospects of the election of a candidate.
Sh. Pankaj Agarwal also said that under Section 134, anyone found guilty of violating official duties related to elections (election duty) can be punished. Under Section 134(a), if a person serving in the government works as an election agent, polling agent, or counting agent for any candidate in an election, he or she can be punished with imprisonment for up to three months or a fine.
Additionally, under Rule 9 of the Haryana Civil Services (Conduct of Employees) Rules, 2016, no government employee shall be a member of any political party or any organisation participating in politics, nor shall they participate in any political movement or activity. If any employee is found violating these rules, appropriate action will be taken against the concerned employee as per the rules, informed Sh. Pankaj Agarwal.
The Chief Electoral Officer further shared that directions have been issued to all Returning Officers to personally inspect polling stations and ensure that all basic public facilities, such as drinking water, electricity, and toilet facilities, are available. If they find any issues during the inspection, they should direct the concerned department to complete the work before the election, he said.