All-party
meeting to discuss state funding of polls
by Chandrika
Jain
New
Delhi: The Election Commission of India (EC) on Saturday
convened a meeting of all national and state political parties
here to discuss the issue of the state funding of elections.
"The Commission has asked from six national recognized and
44 state recognized parties to send their views on the recommendations
of the Union Cabinet by January 31," Election Commission
sources said.
The
parties have nominated representatives from their respective
parties for the meeting, two representatives from national
parties and one from state parties, the sources said. The
Union Cabinet, at a meeting on December 22, decided to refer
the proposal of state funding of elections to the EC with
a view to building consensus on the issue. The Government
has sought the Election Commission's views on the extending
facilities, on the proposal of the fifth committee chaired
by late Indrajit Gupta of the Communist Party of India,
a former Home Minister. The facilities included, rent-free
accommodation to each recognized political party, free telephone
calls during polls, printing papers, and petrol and diesel
in certain quantities to each candidate of recognised political
parties. The number of loudspeakers is also being fixed
for each candidate. An Assembly contestant will get one
set of loudspeakers, while a Parliament candidate would
get a set for each Assembly segment, though not exceeding
six. The government will also fund the snacks and food packets
for the party agents during the counting. The Indrajit Gupta
Commission made its recommendations in 1999 and the Law
Commission of India concurred with this in its 170th report
the same year. An all-party meeting discussed the issue
in 1998 and urged that the state should fund polls. In 1990,
a committee on electoral reforms had said state funding
should be provided in kind only. A panel of the People's
Union for Civil Liberties headed by noted jurist V M Tarkunde
concurred with this in 1978. A joint Parliamentary Committee
on electoral reforms that first discussed the issue in 1972
suggested the burden of election expenses be progressively
shifted to the state.
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