No move to curb EC’s powers: Govt

The government on Tuesday dismissed reports that it was considering a move to take enforcing the model code of conduct out of the Election Commission’s purview as “totally mischievous”.

The government on Tuesday dismissed reports that it was considering a move to take enforcing the model code of conduct out of the Election Commission’s purview as “totally mischievous”.

File-photo-of-law-minister-Salman-Khurshid-at-Parliament-in-New-Delhi-AFP-Prakash-Singh

“There is no such move under contemplation of the government or the group of ministers (GoM) to tackle corruption,” the department of personnel and training (DoPT) said in a statement.

The department’s rejoinder was in response to media reports that the GoM, headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, in its meeting on Wednesday, would consider a proposal to take away the EC’s powers to enforce the model code of conduct by converting the code into a law.

“The GoM has not made any recommendation to make the model code of conduct statutory or to take it outside the EC’s purview,” the DoPT said.

The agenda papers circulated for the GoM meeting — under the topic ‘State Funding of Elections’ — state, “The GoM in its last meeting on September 30, 2011…. directed that the legislative department may bring specific proposals excluding such areas which require consultations with political parties.”