Lok Sabha elections 2019: Election Commission returns 70 requests from Union ministries

In the letter, deputy election commissioner Sandeep Saxena has pointed out that it was a settled rule according to an office memorandum dated October 2004 that all correspondences should be addressed to the deputy election commissioner, principal secretary or the secretary of the division.

Irked by several union ministries repeatedly sending letters on “routine” matters directly to chief election commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora or the other two election commissioners, the poll watchdog has sent back 70 such requests without processing them.

The election commission (EC) has also sent a missive to the Union cabinet secretary PK Sinha pointing to the rule book and saying that ministries and departments should write directly to the CEC or the EC only in the rarest of rare cases. (AP)

The election commission (EC) has also sent a missive to the Union cabinet secretary PK Sinha pointing to the rule book and saying that ministries and departments should write directly to the CEC or the EC only in the rarest of rare cases.

In the letter, deputy election commissioner Sandeep Saxena has pointed out that it was a settled rule according to an office memorandum dated October 2004 that all correspondences should be addressed to the deputy election commissioner, principal secretary or the secretary of the division except in cases where the secretary or the head of the department feels the matter has to be brought to the personal notice of the CEC or the election commissioners.