ITANAGAR, 30 Dec: Observers engaged in the simultaneous elections to the Panchayat Raj and Municipalities suggested thorough examinations of the entire Panchayat & Municipal Act and Rules and to amend it wherever required.
This was conveyed during the de-briefing session organized by the State Election Commission (SEC) on Wednesday at the Dorjee Khandu Convention Hall for the observers and nodal officers, who were engaged in the elections to the Panchayat Raj and Municipalities.
SEC Secretary Nyali Ete invited the observers to give feedback out of the experiences drawn from the recent elections to work out constructive suggestions for the improvisations of the entire mechanisms involved in the conduct of free and fair election to the local bodies.
Many observers submitted various feedbacks for improvisations in electoral mechanisms of the local bodies’ election. They suggested that the feedbacks be compiled and forwarded by SEC to the government for needful action.
Other feedbacks included periodic training of election-related officers and officials, restructuring of staffing pattern in the SEC, and setting up of state-of-the-art infrastructure of the SEC in conformity to its high constitutional status at par with ECI.
Chairing the programme, State Election Commissioner Hage Kojeen expressed his appreciation to all the observers for having shouldered the responsibilities with utmost dedication towards conducting by and large a free, fair and peaceful election.
Earlier, he informed that this was the first time that observers for the local body elections for PRIs were appointed from senior officers of the rank of joint secretary and above.
The state election commissioner, while giving his views on various aspects of the Panchayat and Municipal Acts and Manuals, agreed to the feedbacks on the need for various amendments in the Panchayat and Municipal Acts and Rules.
Joint Secretary Tamune Miso also spoke and shared his inputs.
