Odisha Panchayat Polls: EC directs Govt to immediately remove hoardings, stickers

Bhubaneswar: A day after announcing the schedule for the ensuing three-tier Panchayat Polls, the State Election Commission (SEC) today directed the state Government to immediately remove hoardings highlighting its achievements from several places.

In a letter to all district Collectors, the SEC said it has been brought to the notice of the Commission that hoardings highlighting achievements of the Government with or without the photographs of politicians or Ministers are being displayed at its different offices and public places.

Also, stickers of different Government schemes are being used in the vehicles of Government officers, it added.

“Many of the stickers also carry the photograph of politicians and Ministers. Such actions violate the Model Code of Conduct, which is already in force throughout the state, including urban areas,” the Commission said directing the Collectors to remove all such hoardings and stickers immediately and furnish the compliance forthwith.

Also Read: BREAKING: Dates for Odisha Panchayat Polls declared

Yesterday, the SEC Aditya Prasad Padhi announced that the three-tier elections will be held in five phases on February 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24. People will exercise their franchise from 7 am to 1 pm on the polling days. Counting of votes will take place at Block, Sadar level on February 26, 27 and 28.

Official notification for the polls will be released on January 13 while the final list of candidates will be out on January 25. Candidates will file their nominations from February 17 to 21 while scrutiny of papers will be done on February 22. The last date for withdrawal of nomination papers is February 25.