The State government is yet to take a call on providing accommodation to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer and other senior officials of the state election authority.
As the schedule for the upcoming elections to the Assembly is likely to be announced anytime in September, the State election authority is reported to have requested the government to provide suitable accommodation, preferably in the BRKR Bhavan which has recently been vacated after the construction of the new secretariat complex. The CEO’s office wanted a spacious accommodation as the present office located at Buddha Bhavan would not be sufficient for setting up election-related offices there.
Senior officials said the onset of elections would mandate the setting up of a control room and deployment of additional staff from different departments on election duty. “We need adequate space to accommodate these officials. Besides, there will be frequent meetings with representatives of political parties as part of the election preparations for which there should be a conference hall for holding meetings with political parties as well as civil society groups,” a senior official told The Hindu.
The election authority had, therefore, requested allotment of the eighth and ninth floors of the BRKR Bhavan for the purpose, but there has been no response from the government so far. There is no clarity on why the request has not been conceded so far even as the date for announcement of schedule is fast approaching.
In addition, the election authority’s request for filling vacant posts in addition to the allotment of additional staff is yet to be fulfilled. The post of additional CEO is lying vacant since January while a joint CEO went on leave. “We have been informed that the Finance department is looking into the matter and any recommendation thereafter should get the consent of the State Cabinet,” the official said.
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