Rohtak, June 26

The State Election Commission (SEC), Haryana, has begun preparations for the elections of municipal councils and committees in 17 districts except Faridabad, Charkhi Dadri, Panipat, Panchkula and Rewari.

‘Reassess booths’

Officials of the municipal councils/committees have been asked to reassess the number of polling booths as per new Wardbandi

The SEC has asked Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of all these districts to direct officers concerned of municipal councils/committees in their respective areas not only to re-assess the number of polling booths as per new Wardbandi but also to get further EVMs and election materials as per requirement from its office within seven days so that first-phase examination of the EVMs could be done at the earliest.

It has also made it clear that if the municipal councils/committees don’t get the EVMs and election materials within the timespan then it would be deemed that the district concerned does not have any requirement of further EVMs and election materials.

In that case, the officers concerned themselves would be responsible for any sort of ‘negligence’ in future.

“The elections of municipal councils/committees in their districts are proposed to be conducted through electronic voting machines (EVMs) in near future. In April, the SEC had distributed the EVMs and election material as per the number of polling booths estimated according to ‘old Wardbandi’ of local bodies,” a communique sent to DCs of 17 districts from the office of SEC on Tuesday said.

The communique further states that “The state government has revised the Wardbandi and reservation of municipal councils/committees following which the number of wards and polling stations has also risen. So, you are requested to ask the MC officials concerned to get additional EVMs and poll materials as per requirement.”

The elections of municipal councils are due in Pataudi and Jatoli Mandi (Gurugram), Sirsa, Ambala Sadar and Thanesar (Kurukshetra) while the polls are to be conducted at municipal committees in Julana (Jind), Indri and Nilokheri (Karnal), Kharkhoda (Sonepat), Adampur and Narnaud (Hisar), Loharu, Bawani Khera and Siwani (Bhiwani), Kalanaur (Rohtak) and Tauru (Nuh). Similarly, the elections of municipal committees in Ateli Mandi and Kanina (Mahendragarh), Radaur (Yamunanagar), Sewan, Pundri and Kalayat (Kaithal), Hathin (Palwal), Farukkhnagar (Gurugram), Kalanwali (Sirsa), Barada (Ambala) and Jakhal Mandi (Fatehabad) are due.