Exams can wait, polls are priority 8212; EC

MUMBAI, AUGUST 12: In yet another enforcement' of the electoral code of conduct, the Assistant Returning Officer ARO of the Trombay As...

MUMBAI, AUGUST 12: In yet another enforcement8217; of the electoral code of conduct, the Assistant Returning Officer ARO of the Trombay Assembly constituency has forcibly taken possession of a part of the R S Tahiliyani Secondary School, Gowandi, for election work, leaving the school8217;s students who were in the midst of exams no place to go to.

8220;On their initial request, we have already vacated the main hall of the school to facilitate training for the officials on election duty. But now the Assistant Returning Officer ARO has asked for three classrooms. When we expressed our inability in view of the ongoing examinations, the ARO threatened to arrest us for creating hurdles in the parliamentary and assembly elections,8221; a senior office-bearer of the Gowandi Education Society GES, which runs the school, said. GES office-bearers said they were shocked and surprised at the manner in which officials of the election branch were grossly misusing their powers under the Representation of People Act.

In hisletter of August 5, the ARO directed the school headmistress to immediately vacate three classrooms to provide training facilities to officials from August 6 to 9 and August 28 to 31. When the school authorities expressed their inability to oblige, they made it clear that since the programme had been drafted well in advance, it could not be changed now. In addition, the ARO also asked the school authorities to make arrangements for the affected students in other classrooms and deposit the keys of the classrooms in his ARO8217;s office by evening.

The ARO further pointed out that if it was found the school authorities were avoiding depositing the keys, the same would be treated as an offence under provisions of the Representation of People Act. 8220;We will invoke Section 134 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, to take action against you,8221; the ARO informed the headmistress.

According to a GES office-bearer, it was difficult to provide the classrooms since the unit tests were in progress. 8220;ARO8217;sunilateral decision to take possession of the classrooms will adversely affect students of six classes, since the school is in two shifts,8221; the office-bearer said.

The office-bearer said he had taken up the issue with suburban district collector V L Gavai as well as chief electoral officer D K Sankaran, but there had been no response so far. 8220;We feel the officials of the election branch should have consulted us before taking a decision on our school premises. No doubt GES is an aided educational institution, but it does not give unilateral powers either to the Election Commission or the ARO to play with the academic career of the students,8221; he added.

When the ongoing row between the ARO and GES office-bearers was brought to the notice of Sankaran, he said he would personally look into the matter. 8220;It is true that the R S Tahilyani Secondary School has been notified as one of the 34 central polling stations in the city. We will require more space there,8221; he added.

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Sankaran said his department wascertainly facing a piquant situation in view of the poll schedule. 8220;Normally the elections are held during vacations, and the department does not face many problems since most of the educational institutions are closed. Now, since there are no vacations, we have to request the authorities of various schools and colleges for space. I am sure they will help us for the smooth conduct of elections,8221; he said.