M A I N   N E W S

Complaints to EC
Number, any number, even roll number
Maneesh Chhibber
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 18
That the Election Commission receives a large number of complaints as regards irregularities and violations of the code of conduct is a fact well-known. What is not that well known to the public is the number of frivolous and non-election related complaints that the EC is burdened with during poll time.

Sample this: A resident of Abohar has complained to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjab, that a government schoolteacher has not issued roll numbers to the students. In his complaint, which also carries photographs of the teacher, the complainant has also accused the teacher of forcing the students to skip classes and instead take part in the election campaign.

Senior officials connected with the job of conducting elections say there is little they can do about such complaints, except forwarding these to the department concerned or the Deputy Commissioner for necessary action.

“Actually, people think we are the government during election time. But, this is not correct. Our job is only to ensure that elections are conducted in a free and fair manner and everybody gets a chance to vote for his chosen candidate. While we do keep on issuing directions to the government departments in some cases, such orders are only few,” a senior official connected with the ongoing election process maintains.

In what can only be an indicator of the kind of clout and goodwill that the election authority enjoys, a Kapurthala resident has complained that her in-laws have been treating her shabbily. Perhaps, hoping to evoke some action from the EC, she has also alleged that her estranged husband has “used his influence” to ensure that her photo identity card is not made and her name is not included in the voters’ list.

Another interesting complaint that has been received by the EC is by a farmer who has alleged that his neighbours, who are workers of a political party, have been harassing him and threatening that they will not allow him to reap his crop if he doesn’t canvass for a candidate of their choice.

According to an old hand in the Election Department, during the last Assembly elections, a delegation of farmers came to the office of the Deputy CEO in Sector 17 here to lodge a complaint. The complaint was that some officials, who had hired them on behalf of a politician, were not paying their dues.

Incidentally, in the ongoing electoral process, technology is playing a vital roll. If in the past complaints used to be lodged in person or through telephone/fax, this time, the EC has been receiving complaints through SMS, too.

Common people complaining about petty and personal matters is not the only thing that is drawing the attention of the election staff.

Over-zealous government officials, not wanting to run afoul of the election authority, are also seeking clarifications from the CEO’s office on petty issues.

The Deputy Commissioner of a district today wanted the EC to clarify if he could issue a licence for arms. Another officer wanted to know if he could issue posting letters to newly selected teachers. But, this one takes the cake: A senior official, who also holds court as the revenue head of the district, wants to know whether he should hold court or not?

“The instructions that we issued many days ago are enough to clarify most of the doubts. But, the problem is that many officials don’t bother to read those instructions?” observed an official in the office of the CEO, Punjab.