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Bhubaneswar, Oct 6: The State Election Commission (SEC) has asked the state government to complete delimitation of wards and the reservation of seats and offices of chairpersons and mayors of civic bodies by January 31, 2018.
SEC Secretary RN Sahu has in his letter to Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi stated that the task will have to be undertaken by the district magistrates as the first step towards holding elections to 93 urban local bodies (ULBs) which are due next year.
The letter has been written keeping in view, and citing, the fact that Article 243-U of the Constitution stipulates that election to constitute a municipality shall have to be completed before the expiry of its term of five years. Reservation of the offices of chairpersons of municipalities must be “done under Sec 47 of the Orissa Municipal Act, 1950”, the letter stated.
While the terms of 66 ULBs, including that of Berhampur Municipal Corporation, expire September 30, 2018, those of 20 others will expire December 4, 2018.
Two other ULBs will complete their terms December 9, 2018.
Similarly Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation will be completing its term January 17, 2019, and the terms of Cuttack Municipal Corporation and Baripada Municipality end February 13, 2019.
The terms of the municipalities of Bolangir and Titilagarh are to end July 11, 2019, the SEC letter said. Once the SEC receives information from the state government, it will prepare electoral rolls and identify polling stations to facilitate smooth elections to ULBs, Sahu said.
VVPAT for Bijepur by-poll
Bhubaneswar: Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), or Verifiable Paper Record (VPR), machines will be used at the Bijepur by-election. Chief Electoral Officer DN Gupta told reporters Friday. The CEO further said VVPAT machines will be used in future general elections according to the notification of the Election Commission of India (ECI). VVPAT is to be used for the first time in Orissa at the by-poll. The machines, coupled with electronic voting machines (EVMs), will be used at all the 270 booths during the ensuing election, which is yet to be notified. Gupta said the notification would be issued once the Orissa High Court gives its final order on a petition filed in connection with the previous election.
