ES Reporter

ITANAGAR, Nov 17: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has urged the State Election Commission (SEC) to postpone the proposed Panchayat and Municipal elections scheduled on December 22.
Submitting representations in this regard to the SEC and the Minister for Panchayats, the apex students’ union of the state has served a two-day ultimatum asking the authorities to respond to its demand. Addressing reporters here at the Press Club today, AAPSU President Hawa Bagang while terming the prevailing situation “not conducive for simultaneous elections” alleged that the SEC has not observed the required formalities before declaring the election date. “The SEC should reconsider its decision taking note of the advisory issued by the State Health Department on Covid-19 pandemic which opined for postponement of the simultaneous elections till the passing of winter, rather than taking the risk,” AAPSU President reasoned, drawing attention to the news on the probability of arrival of the vaccine in the early months of 2021.
Questioning SEC’s decision, AAPSU President said that the Commission hasn’t followed the laid-down electoral procedures. “There were no public notices or circulars on the existing electoral roll, no hearings for addition or deletion of voters’ list, no draft publication of the 2020 electoral roll and no chances for claims and objections or corrections were given to the stakeholders,” he added.
Recalling the Daying Ering Recommendations of 1965 which stress on fostering rural local self-governance through exclusive participation of the indigenous people of the state, the AAPSU president urged the SEC to impose a complete ban on electoral participation by the temporary settlers and refugees in the proposed Panchayat and Municipal elections. “It has been a gross mistake to allow participation of temporary settlers in the PR election process, especially in Vijoynagar and Changlang districts. 
These settlers were allowed to settle there only with the specific intention of farthering territorial integration of India in the 1960s and they are not the indigenous tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. Moreover, the land lease agreement for the settlers in Vijoynagar area has ended in 2020 and any extension of it has not been done by the government. Hence, there is no question of extending the rights of voting in PR polls to these settlers,” AAPSU President claimed.

Meanwhile, Vice President of the union Meje Taku urged the concerned department to maintain COVID-19 SOPs in every school in a proper manner. “We have been receiving reports that many of the schools are not following the SOPs properly and even the basic facilities are yet to be available after re-opening,” he said.
AAPSU will not tolerate any kind of lackadaisical attitude in maintaining the SOPs that may pave the way for an increase of COVID cases among students, Taku stated.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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