Haryana Chief secy to be held responsible, if official vehicles misused during polls: SEC

As per the new instructions, “There will be a total and absolute ban on the use of official vehicles by any political party, candidate or any other person connected with election (except officials performing election related official duty) for campaigning, electioneering or related travel during election period starting with the announcement of election schedule by the Election Commission and ending with the completion of the poll process”.

Defining the “official vehicle”, SEC says, “it will cover all vehicles belonging to central government, state government, UT administration, public undertakings of the central and state governments, joint sector undertakings, local bodies, municipal corporations, municipalities, marketing boards, cooperative societies, autonomous district councils or any other body in which public funds, howsoever small a portion of the total, are invested and also those belonging to Ministry of Defence and the Central Public Organizations under the Ministry of Home Affairs and state governments”.

It added that the “ban on official vehicles will equally apply to the vehicles in the state where election is being held or from any other states, not going to the polls”. “The Chief Secretary of each state, UT, or secretary to Government of India in the concerned departments, will be personally held responsible for misuse of such vehicles. The offices under whose charge such vehicles are entrusted will also be equally held responsible for any violation”.

Raising apprehensions that in certain cases, “bogus official purposes” are cited for using official vehicles, SEC added that “use of such vehicles belonging to any of these authorities by anyone, including ministers of the central or state governments, even on payment basis, for campaigning or on tours connected with the alleged and bogus certified purpose of official work in their capacity as ministers, is totally prohibited”.

During the period of model code, non-official functionaries – chairman, deputy chairman, president, vice president, commissioners of various autonomous boards, organizations, PSUs have been allowed to use official vehicles “only for commuting between office and residence” and “to attend official meetings within the headquarters itself”.

“The district administration will keep strict vigil on the movement of such vehicles and any vehicle found being misused is to be confiscated forthwith”, the SEC’s instructions read.