Poll duty officials asked to report for work or face action

Officials and workers not reporting for poll duty will face suspension, the State Election Commissioner said today.
Maharashtra State Election Commissioner J S Saharia asked officials and workers assigned duty in three-poll bound municipal bodies to report to work by tomorrow or face suspension.
"Elections take place only because officers and workers who have been assigned duty report to work. However, there are some people who do not take their duty seriously. Such workers will not be pardoned and suspended immediately," Saharia said in a statement here.
Maiden elections for the Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC), adjoining Mumbai, will be held on May 24. Elections will also be held on the same day for the Bhiwandi- Nizampur and Malegaon municipal corporations.

The counting of votes will take place on May 26.
Saharia said the Divisional Commissioner concerned makes available returning officers wherever elections are held.
"However, it has been noted there are insufficient number of returning officers for Panvel and Bhiwandi-Nizampur municipal corporation elections. This is a serious matter," he stated.
"We have thus decided to suspend those who do not join duty from tomorrow," he stated.