ECI Bars Volunteers from Poll Duty in AP

Vijayawada: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday issued directions not to involve village and ward volunteers in any election-related work, not to announce results of the AP Teacher Eligibility Test and not to conduct AP Teacher Recruitment Test in view of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) being in force in the state in view of the upcoming elections.

In a statement issued here, chief electoral officer (CEO) Mukesh Kumar Meena said volunteers shall be barred from distributing cash benefits to beneficiaries under any scheme, including pensions.

The AP CEO instructed volunteers to deposit with district election officers the handheld devices given to them by the state government for discharging their duties, like mobile phones and tablets, until the MCC is in force.

According to the statement, ECI has informed AP government that it may make alternative arrangements for the distribution of benefits related to ongoing schemes to already selected beneficiaries, preferably using the DBT or through regular government employees.