EC puts in place a cell for issuing permission for election meetings

An officer of Dy. SP rank to head the cell in Lok Sabha constituencies

The Election Commission has streamlined the process of issuing permission for holding election meetings. File photo: M. Moorthy

The Election Commission has directed the District Election Officers and Returning Officers of parliamentary constituencies to put in place a single window system at their respective offices to accord permission to political parties and candidates for organising public meetings, rallies, processions, and use of loud speakers besides use of vehicles for poll campaign.

The Commission has instructed the DEOs and ROs to operationalise the Single Window Permission Cell in their respective offices with necessary infrastructure and staff for prompt action. A police officer in the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police would be designated as the Permission Cell in-charge under the system in the office of each RO to collect and process the applications and issue permission to the applicant after obtaining approval from the competent authorities concerned. Officers from various departments would be part of the single window system to coordinate the process. The Election Commission’s latest instruction has been forwarded to the DEOs and ROs in the State through the Chief Electoral Officer, official sources said.

The Commission has specified that an officer in the level of Executive Engineer or above of municipal corporations, Assistant Divisional Fire Officer or equivalent of the district concerned and an officer in the level of Executive Engineer or above from electricity department should be part of the single window system. Upon collecting the application submitted by a political party or candidate from the Permission Cell In-charge, the officers would process them as per departmental rules the same day. They would have to deliver it to the Permission Cell in-charge for issuance of further permission to the applicants.

The Permission Cell In-charge would grant permission to political parties or candidates within 36 hours of the receipt of application after obtaining necessary clearances from fire, local authorities and land owning agencies.

Political parties and candidates have been instructed to apply to the Permission Cell In-charge concerned at least 48 hours before the event along with details of expenditure plan in a prescribed format.

Traffic police-related permission would be obtained by the Permission Cell In-charge and the applicant would not be asked to obtain it from Traffic Police separately, according to the commission’s directive.

Permission would be accorded to applicants on ‘first come first served’ basis under the system.