SEC Warns Against "Auctioning" Of Posts

State Election Commission Secretary Naveen Mittal, on Thursday, issued strict instructions to Collectors and District Election Authorities in AP, over the alleged auctioning of posts of certain sarpanchas and ward members.

Mittal said that auctioning of posts is a corrupt practice under Section 211(1) of the A P Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, and that is is also an electoral malpractice under Sections 171-B and 171-E of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

On conviction, an offender is liable to one year's imprisonment, and disqualification from contesting elections for a period of 6 years.

He requested the Collectors and District Election Authorities to take measures to foil the designs of vested interests to manipulate the election process by way of auctioning. He asked them to open a special cell to probe news reports about the alleged incidents, and to conduct an enquiry into the issue.

Mittal said that prompt action should be taken to file FIRs and launch prosecutions against persons involved in the offence.

He also asked the officials to send a report to the State Election Commission wherever there is a prima facie case of auctioning of posts, to enable the State Election Commission to stop the election process in the Gram Panchayat concerned.

"By way of abundant caution, wherever there are allegations of auctioning of posts, the Collectors and District Election Authorities shall give instructions to the Returning Officers concerned not to declare the result in case of unanimous election to any office in the Gram Panchayat concerned without obtaining clearance from the Collector and District Election Authority," Mittal said. (INN)