Front Page   

EC asks M.P. to defer free power to farmers

NEW DELHI NOV. 10. The Election Commission today directed the Madhya Pradesh Government to postpone the proposal to supply free power to farmers till the Assembly elections are over, terming it a violation of the model code of conduct.

A meeting of the full Commission has taken a decision to this effect after hearing various political parties, EC sources said today.

The Commission felt that the proposal announced by the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board in September was to come into effect from November, after the model code of conduct came into effect, they said.

Earlier, some people filed a public interest litigation in the Jabalpur High Court which left the issue to the Election Commission.

The Commission is likely to apprise the court of its decision tomorrow, the sources said.

Reacting to the EC decision, the Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh, tonight said that the Commission had only asked for the postponement of the scheme till the Assembly elections.

"The Election Commission has not held the decision illegal. It has not set aside our order. Even the High Court has upheld our decision," he told NDTV. — PTI

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Supreme Court stays arrest of The Hindu Editor, five others
• Centre to seek report from Tamil Nadu Governor
• Constitution, not legislatures, is supreme, says Ram
• Police officers avoid media
• EC asks M.P. to defer free power to farmers
• Secretaries panel to discuss issues raised by CVC
• Second killer of Madhumita arrested
• PDP leader shot dead

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu