Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s photos may soon be off the free ambulances that traverse the length and breadth of the State. But, the photos are likely to remain on the ration cards. Badal’s snapshots are prominently displayed on the ambulances, ration cards, and other social welfare schemes. Taking cognisance, the State Election Commission has asked for the removal of the photographs as the State is heading for the Assembly polls.
Terming it as “violation” of the election code of conduct, the State Chief Electoral Officer Kusumjit Sidhu has issued directives to this effect. Unmoved, the State authorities are planning to abide by the directives “only when the election code of conduct comes into force”. Grapevine has it that the much-awaited announcement for the date of the State Assembly polls will be announced within a week’s time now.
The directives, issued on September 29, stated that pictures related to any political party should not be used in any Government machinery and the same would be considered as violation of the code. Just recently, the Commission also issued a ‘reminder’ to this effect. The Government has to ensure the removal of Badal’s photographs not only from the ambulances and the ration cards, but also other social welfare schemes like bags distributed under Atta-Dal scheme – a recommendation which political pundits believe is “hard to comply with”.
As of now, there are 240 free ambulances, launched earlier this year in collaboration with an NGO, running across the State that carries “prominently” the picture of senior Badal. Even the advertisements, aired by the SAD-BJP Government on local television channels, also depict the free ambulances, under State Government’s most-ambitious ‘Dial 108′ emergency medical response services programme.
Besides ambulances, the ration cards provided by the State Government to around 14.5 lakh families in the Atta-Dal scheme carries the images of Chief Minister and Food and Civil Supplies minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon. “As of now, there is no objection as the pictures of ministers were pasted on the government machinery under various schemes, but the moment the code of conduct comes into force, these have to be removed,” Sidhu told The Pioneer.
“None of the Government machinery or other things will carry the photographs of any political personality, as the same will be termed as the violation of the code,” said Sidhu, while especially listing the ambulance and ration cards. “We have issued a communication on September 29, to the State Chief Secretary asking him in advance to remove the pictures. We have sent them a reminder again, as the date for the Assembly polls can be announced anytime now and code comes into effect right away, she elaborated.
When The Pioneer contacted Chief Secretary SC Agarwal, he said that as of now, no move has been made in this regard and “the pictures will be removed as soon the code is implemented. There is no need to do the same right now. As the code comes into effect, we will do it,” he said.
News Source: Pioneer
