V Shashank Shekhar, IAS, Chief Electoral Officer of Nagaland, on Saturday, issued instructions regarding use of vehicles during the 14th General Election to Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) which is scheduled to be conducted on 27 February 2023.
The CEO has informed that there will be “total and absolute ban” on the use of any official vehicles for “campaigning electioneering or election related travels”.
The notification clarified that ‘Official Vehicles’ include all vehicles belonging to central and state government; public undertakings of the central and state government; joint sector undertakings of central and state government; local bodies, municipal corporations, municipalities; marketing boards; cooperative societies; autonomous district councils; any other body in which public funds are invested; and vehicles belonging to the Ministry of Defence and the Central Police Organizations under the Ministry of Home Affairs and state government.
It was also informed that ministers can use their official vehicles only for official work unrelated to any political activity, the violation of which will result in the facility of the official vehicles withdrawn and the allowance for maintenance of the vehicle recovered.
The use of pilot car or car with beacon lights or car affixed with sirens by ministers or political functionaries is prohibited whether the vehicle is government owned or private owned, the CEO instructed.
“In respect of persons covered by security, the use of State owned one bullet proof vehicle for the particular person (PP) will be permitted in all cases where the security agencies, including the intelligence authorities, have prescribed such use,” it was notified. The use of multiple cars in the name of the stand-by is not permissible unless specifically prescribed by security authorities, he added.
However, the maintenance for the bullet proof vehicles will be borne by the PP except in the case of the Prime Minister, whose security requirements are governed by the Government’s Blue Book.
The cars escorting such vehicles will be strictly in accordance to the security authorities and the state government will bear its cost.
Further, Nagaland CEO V Shashank Shekhar, IAS, informed that only three vehicles will be allowed within the periphery of 100 metres of Returning Officers/Assistant Returning Officers office for filing a nomination.
Shekhar also instructed that the candidate will need prior approval of the Returning Officer for plying vehicles for the purpose of election campaign and display the permit on the windscreen. He warned that without the permit, usage of vehicles “shall be deemed to be unauthorized campaigning for the candidate and may attract penal provisions of chapter IX of the Indian Penal code.”
On the day of the poll in a constituency, each contesting candidate is entitled to three vehicles, the notice said.
Moreover, on the polling day only a certain type of vehicles will be allowed on the road. Such vehicles include private vehicles used by the owners; vehicles used for essential services; public transport carriages; taxis, three wheelers, scooters and rickshaws, etc used for unavoidable journeys; vehicles used by sick or disabled persons; and vehicles being used by the govt officers on duty.
The CEO notified that the District Administration will be keeping “a close watch” on vehicles being used by persons close to the candidates or the party leaders to check “any possible mischief, including criminal activities.”
He warned that vehicles “found to be involved in any such act or for carting anti-social elements with a view to intimidating or creating terror in the mind of the electorate”, will be impounded and criminal action will be initiated against the owner, the occupant(s) and the candidate/political party.
