Election authorities warn against irregularities in printing campaign material
The district election authorities have issued guidelines regarding printing and publication of election pamphlets, posters and related promotional material, stating that legal action would be taken against the violations.
A spokesperson of the district election authorities said while the work related to the printing and publication of election pamphlets and posters was being regulated and controlled under the provisions of Section 127-A of the Representation of the People Act, the printing press should not publish or print any material without prior permission or authorisation. He said strict action would be taken against the printing presses where the norms were found to be violated. No press should print any material which does not have the name of the printer and the publishers during the election campaign.
He said in this connection, violators may face action under Section 163 of the Indian Civil Security Code, 2023, with imprisonment upto six months and license cancellation of the printing press unit. The spokesperson added that the name of the printer and publisher must be printed on every election related material.
Meanwhile, District Election Officer Vikram Singh asked all candidates to record the printing expenditure. A copy of the printed material, revealing the total quantity of the material printed or published and the expenditure incurred, needs to be submitted at the offices of the District Magistrate and the Chief Election Officer at the state level, he added.
It is claimed that while a proper supervision of the expenditure incurred by various candidates in the campaign had been on, complaints, if any, could be made to the Expenditure Observer posted in each of the Assembly segments.
