Draft notification on ward delimitation in Kerala block panchayats on May 27
The number of wards in the 152 block panchayats in Kerala will go up from 2,080 to 2,267, the Commission headed by A. Shajahan said on Tuesday.
The exercise is carried out in block panchayat wards on the basis of the number of grama panchayat wards and the population under the 2011 Census.
Under a notification issued by the Director Local Self Government (Rural), block panchayats will have a minimum of 14 wards and a maximum of 24.
Complaints and grievances regarding the draft notification will be accepted up to June 5. They can be lodged with the District Election Officer or with the Secretary, Delimitation Commission.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
Haryana Rights Panel Cites Shakespeare After Aadhaar Record Shows Living Man Dead
Chandigarh: The Haryana Human Rights Commission has taken suo-motu cognizance of a media report highlighting an incident where a serving employee of the Public Health Department, a resident of Rohtak, was allegedly denied his salary in the post-COVID period because his Aadhaar record shows him as "deceased". This is despite the fact that he is alive and continues to discharge his duties regularly. As a result of this administrative lapse, the employee has reportedly been deprived of his lawful remuneration for an extended period. Upon review, the Commission observed that the Public Health Department failed to update the employee's record on the HKRN portal, despite being aware that the "deceased" status in Aadhaar was erroneous. This inaction has caused the complainant prolonged financial hardship and mental agony, undermining his right to work with dignity and creating unnecessary uncertainty. The Commission expressed concern that such errors can severely affect an individual's livelihood, confidence, and peace of mind. The full bench of the Commission, comprising Chairperson Justice Lalit Batra and members Kuldip Jain and Deep Bhatia, noted that such treatment appears contrary to Article 7 of the United Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which recognises the right to just and favourable conditions of work, including remuneration ensuring a decent living for workers and their families. The non-payment of wages for work performed constitutes a violation of the employee's human rights, particularly the right to livelihood and dignity as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution and reaffirmed in international human rights instruments. The department's inaction amounts to an arbitrary deprivation of earnings, impairing the complainant's ability to support himself and his family. Reflecting on the situation, the Commission recalled a sentiment from Shakespeare's famous play 'Julius Caesar' that 'sometimes the dead may exert greater influence than the living'. However, the Commission observed that the present case revealed a stark inversion of that idea: a man undeniably alive, diligently performing his duties, is being officially treated as deceased. This erroneous classification not only deprived him of his rightful wages but also subjected him to indignity and unnecessary hardship. Ignoring the service of a living employee in such a manner is an administrative failure that the Commission cannot overlook. Finding prima facie evidence of administrative negligence and violation of the complainant's rights, the Commission directed immediate action to restore the employee's salary, correct all records, and ensure that no employee faces such an anomalous and unjust situation in the future. The Commission has called for a report on the necessary corrections to the Aadhaar record of the complainant from the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Rohtak, and the Commissioner and Secretary, Citizen Resources Information Department (CRID), before the next hearing on September 23.
NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
MK Stalin's 7 Questions After Poll Body Chief Defends Bihar Poll Roll Revision
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Monday intensified his attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of "voter theft" through mass deletions under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bihar. He said the Chief Election Commissioner's (CEC) recent press conference had "raised more doubts than answers" to the concerns flagged by the INDIA bloc. The remarks came a day after CEC Gyanesh Kumar defended the SIR process, stressing it was transparent and legally mandated. "When more than seven crore voters of Bihar are standing with the Election Commission, then neither can any question mark be raised on its credibility nor the credibility of the voters," he said in New Delhi. Mr Kumar dismissed allegations of double voting and "vote chori" as baseless, noting that booth-level officers, parties and voters themselves had verified and signed the documents. He urged political parties to point out errors before the September 1 deadline instead of raising objections later, and warned Rahul Gandhi to submit an affidavit within seven days to substantiate his allegations. But Mr Stalin listed what he called seven unanswered questions that, he said, struck at the heart of the Commission's credibility: How could so many eligible voters be deleted despite house-to-house enumeration? Why is the enrolment of new voters abnormally low? Were all youngsters who turned 18 on the qualifying date included? Has any database been compiled? Will the timelines for enquiries and appeals under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, end up excluding a huge number of voters in Bihar? How will the ECI address this? Will these "practical difficulties" be taken into account before extending the SIR to other states? When will the ECI act on the DMK's July 17 request to delete only deceased voters, as contemplated in its May 1 notification? What prevents the Commission from accepting Aadhaar as a valid document to prove a voter's claim? If fair elections are the ECI's true aim, why can't it be more transparent and voter-friendly? "Voter rights are being trampled in the name of revision. This is nothing but voter theft," MK Stalin charged, echoing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's earlier allegation that 65 lakh voters had been arbitrarily removed in Bihar despite the Supreme Court's warning against "mass deletions." The Congress on Sunday described the CEC's defence as "laughable" and accused the poll body of "blatant partisanship." The party said the Commission had "answered none of the pointed questions" raised by Mr Gandhi, who launched the INDIA bloc's "Voter Adhikar Yatra" from Sasaram over the weekend. On Aug 14, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to publish a booth-wise list of 65 lakh electors excluded from the draft rolls in Bihar during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The order came amid concerns over mass voter deletions in poll-bound Bihar. The draft roll was published on August 1.
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Indian Express
Ex-TMC MP seeks urgent Calcutta HC hearing on EC's move to collect BLA details for SIR a year before Bengal Assembly polls
Former Trinamool Congress MP Subhasish Chakraborty's counsel challenged the Election Commission's decision to seek information on Booth Level Agents (BLAs) a year before the West Bengal Assembly elections at the Calcutta High Court. The counsel for Chakraborty, who was a Rajya Sabha member, mentioned the matter on Monday before the single bench of Justice Amrita Sinha, seeking an urgent hearing. According to Chakraborty's counsel, Arko Nag, it is not within the Commission's jurisdiction to seek this information now. Nag submitted: 'The EC (Election Commission) has announced that they will implement SIR (Special Intensive Revision) in West Bengal. District Magistrate has given notice to all political parties to submit names of BLAs. It was usually done seven days prior to voting day. Now, they are asking to disclose names of BLAs one year prior to elections. It is beyond the power of EC as per the People Act. DMs, acting as District Election Officers, are asking political parties to submit names.' Justice Sinha observed: 'So where is privacy involved here? It is not only for you but for all other parties as well.' Nag submitted, 'We are assailing the cause. Others might have accepted it.' The Election Commission in August had sent a letter to the CEO of West Bengal stating that the list of BLAs should be submitted to the Commission. The Commission directed political parties to keep a list of booth-level agents ready so that if anything unusual happens during the SIR, it could be 'easily noticed'. At the same time, parties were also told to send that list to the Commission in advance. Nag submitted in court that since the Commission has announced SIR in the state, the case should be heard quickly. However, the court rejected the request for an urgent hearing, with a possibility of it happening next week. On Sunday, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at a press conference in Delhi stated that the SIR of electoral rolls in West Bengal and other states will be announced in due course. He said the SIR exercise was aimed at removing shortcomings in the voter list, and that it is a matter of 'grave concern' some parties are spreading 'misinformation' about it, 'firing from the Election Commission's shoulder.' The Trinamool Congress has expressed doubts about the 'efficacy' of the SIR exercise in Bengal and vowed to oppose any move by the EC to delete names of genuine voters.
