Date:22/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/22/stories/2007122250380100.htm

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SECs seek more financial autonomy

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: State Election Commissioners (SECs) have sought more financial and administrative autonomy to conduct the elections to local self-government institutions efficiently.

The eighth conference of the Commissioners held at Bhubaneswar recently resolved to take up the issue with the respective State governments through the Union Panchayati Raj Ministry and the Election Commission of India (ECI).

They sought more autonomy following the increase in the number of byelections to civic bodies. On an average, 30 to 40 byelections are held once in two months in the States and it has become an arduous task for the State Election Commissions to foot the bill and handle the workload without disrupting the schedule.

The budgetary allocations made by the State governments are inadequate to meet the poll expenses and the Commissions have to approach the governments quite often for reappropriation of the allocated funds. The existing system of the Assemblies voting the expenditure of the Commissions should be altered and the governments should take steps to provide ‘charged’ funds so that the Commissions would get more freedom to utilise the allocated funds for meeting their needs, they said.

Though the use of electronic voting machines has been widely welcomed in conducting the civic elections, the Union Panchayati Raj Ministry has ruled out the possibility of providing financial assistance for purchasing the machines. In order to secure Central funds to meet the establishment expenses, the standing committee of the Commissioners has submitted a proposal to the Ministry.

The economy measures initiated by the State governments in various departments, of not filling vacancies and abolishing posts, have been made applicable to the Commissions as well. So they have to work with minimum staff. They sought exemption from such restrictions which impede their smooth functioning.

The State governments should also provide adequate staff on requisition with a fixed tenure as practised in the ECI, they said.