Special officers to check money flow at polls
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, OCT 29
In a bid to keep a check on the overspending by candidates in the forthcoming municipal elections, the State Election Commission (SEC) has appointed special officers in addition to the normal election observers to keep a tab on violators.
The officers of the rank of accounts officer/assistant officers have been appointed as expenditure officers for each of the eleven municipalities scheduled to go to polls on October 31.
Municipal Councils of Pernem, Mapusa, Bicholim, Valpoi, Margao, Cuncolim, Mormugao, Sanguem, Quepem, Curchorem-Cacora and Canacona will go to polls on Sunday.
State Election Commissioner (SEC) Dr M Modassir addressing a press conference said that henceforth the same practice would also be followed during the panchayat polls.
He said each candidate is entitled to spend upto Rs 30000 as poll expenses.
Replying to a query Dr Modassir said there have been no complaints and over all election process is going on smoothly.
226281 VOTERS: A total of 226281 voters in the 11 municipal councils are eligible to
exercise their franchise in the polls.
Of the total 137 wards, elections, however, would be conducted for 134 wards as two wards — one each in Valpoi and Mormugao, had candidates elected unopposed whereas election for reserved ward in Pernem Municipal Council has been deferred, Modassir disclosed.
MUNICIPALITY WITH HIGHEST VOTERS: Margao Municipal Council has the distinction of having the highest number of voters – 62059. MMC consists of twenty wards and has 96 candidates in fray.
Mormugao Municipal Council comes in second having 60001 voters with twenty wards. It has 55 polling booths.
SMALLEST MUNICIPALITY: Pernem Municipal Council with 10 wards is the smallest municipality with just 3307 voters. Of this, 1679 are males and 1628 female voters.
It has nine polling stations and 44 candidates in fray.
