Keeping volunteers out of elections and placing restrictions on the volunteers during the course of elections. No.437/AP/SOU3/2024, Dated 30th March, 2024.

 ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA 

NIRVACHAN SADAN ASHOKA ROAD NEW DELHI-110001

No.437/AP/SOU3/2024, Dated 30th March, 2024

To

Chief Electoral Officer,

Andhra Pradesh

Amaravati.

Subject: Simultaneous Elections to the Legislative Assembly and House of People, 2024 in Andhra Pradesh: Keeping volunteers out of elections and placing restrictions on the volunteers during the course of elections - regarding.

Sir,

I am directed to refer to the complaints dated 23.02.2024 and 25.02.2024 filed by the Citizens for Democracy and subsequent order dated 13.03.2024 of the Hon'ble High Court of Andhra Pradesh in the WP 6419/2024 titled Citizens for Democracy vs ECI. Having regard to continuous flow of complaints against volunteers, newspaper reports against volunteers influencing elections at grassroots level and in the spirit of the aforesaid order of Hon'ble High Court of Andhra Pradesh in WP 6419/2024, the Commission has directed that:

(1) Volunteers shall be barred from distribution of cash benefits under any scheme (including pensions) to eligible beneficiaries.

(ii) Handheld devices (mobile/tablets/any other) provided to the volunteers be deposited with the DEOs till MCC period.

(iii) The Govt of Andhra Pradesh may be asked to make alternative arrangement for distribution of benefits of ongoing schemes to already selected beneficiaries using DBT (electronic transfer) preferably or through other regular government employees.

Yours faithfully, 

(Sanjay Kumar) 

Under Secretary

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