Notice issued to ruling combine on hike in pension: Puducherry CEO

The booth level officers would distribute voter information slips to all voters from April 8 to April 13 and cover the electorate, he added.He said that 232 polling stations out of the total 967 booths have been identified as critical and vulnerable booths.

Chief Electoral Officer of Puducherry P. Jawahar on Friday said that they have issued a notice to the ruling AINRC-BJP combine calling for an explanation on the announced hike in old age pension by Chief Minister N Rangasamy.

Jawahar said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) had in its letter on January 2 stated that announcement of new projects or programmes of concessions or financial grants in any forms, or promises which have the effect of influencing the voters to favour the party-in-power, are prohibited.

Addressing reporters at the Media Centre here the CEO said that notices had been issued to the General Secretaries of the AINRC and the BJP for allegedly violating the model code of conduct as there was announcement of hike in old age pension by the Chief Minister during a poll campaign.

He also added that the MCC is being enforced impartially in the UT, which will vote on April 19. The CEO said that they have identified 77 stations which had registered lower polling and that steps had been taken to engage volunteers on election day and the day before to visit homes and encourage voters. The booth level officers would distribute voter information slips to all voters from April 8 to April 13 and cover the electorate, he added.

He said that 232 polling stations out of the total 967 booths have been identified as critical and vulnerable booths. Special care and attention would be paid to such booths by the sector officers.

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