AP NGOs’ Association Visakhapatnam district president K. Eswara Rao has said it is not wise to hold elections to the gram panchayats at a time when the pandemic threat was still on.
Addressing a media conference here on Sunday, Mr. Eswara Rao said that government officials were already overburdened with the work relating to the COVID-19 vaccination programme to begin on January 16. He explained that the employees were worried about participating in the election work and agitated over the decision taken by the State Election Commissioner, ignoring the impending COVID-19 threat.
As many as five lakh employees and police personnel would have to be on election duty, if the gram panchayat polls were held. The elections would put the lives of employees and voters at risk as there was a danger of the virus spreading, he said. He demanded postponement of elections and warned that they would boycott election duties, if they were held.
The association would not hesitate to move the court, if necessary, on the directions of the State association.
Association vice president R. Srinivasa Rao, organising secretary T. Seshendra Sarma and joint secretary P. Appala Raju were among those present.
