Udupi District Administration Iinitiates Measures for Transparent Elections
Udupi: Deputy commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis said that we have set up district-level media certification and monitoring committees (MCMC) to check instances of paid news ahead of the state assembly polls.
She was speaking at the ‘Media Workshop on Electoral Process’ on Saturday, March 17 at the DC Office. She said that paid news is a very complex problem and we have taken the issue seriously to ensure a level playing field to all political parties and candidates in the coming elections to the state legislative assembly. The MCMC committee will take action on those who violate the norms.
Ashok Kamath member of the election training committee said that paid news has disturbed the political arena. But there is no clinching evidence to take action against paid news, he said.
Noting that the print and electronic media are eyes and ears on the ground to the commission MCMC will take suo motu complaint based on media reports on violation of model of code of conduct during the election process and initiate action against the erring political parties.
The media houses should impose self-regulation on them and exercise caution while publishing the news related to elections.
The district MCMC examines complaints/issue of paid news through a monitoring arrangement. It scans all media, print media, electronic media, cable network etc. In the suspected cases of Paid news, it intimates the Returning officer for the issue of notices to the candidates for inclusion of actual expenditure on the published matter in their election expenses account or notional expenditure bases on DIPR/DAVP rates in their election expenses account irrespective whether the candidates actually have paid or not any amount to the channel/newspaper according to his/her own statement. District MCMC decides on the reply in a time-bound manner for the candidates and candidates/party its final decision.
The MCMC is giving clearance for political advertisement by a committee before being telecast on television channels, cable networks and social media sites by any registered political party or any group of organisation/ association or by any contesting candidate during the elections.
O R Prakash election training officer said that this time the Election Commission of India (ECI) is introducing Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) to provide instant feedback to the electors thereby buttress its claim that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are tamper-proof. The VVPAT was a crucial step towards achieving a greater degree of transparency in the conduct of elections.
The VVPAT facility would display for a short while the names along with symbols of the parties to which people cast their vote, which helps them in exposing any mischief on the spot.
Briefing about SWEEP programme ZP CEO Shivananda Kapasi said that the district administration is preparing for the forthcoming elections. Quiz, essay writing and Jathas are being organised in colleges. Pamphlets are being circulated among the people.
