Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
All corporators elected in the municipal corporation’s general elections are required to submit detailed accounts of their election campaign expenses to the election commission within 30 days. Failure to do so within the stipulated time may lead to cancellation of membership, municipal commissioner G Sreekanth warned on Wednesday.
Out of 115 elected corporators, more than 57 have not yet submitted their expense statements.
The general election to the municipal corporation was held on January 15, with results declared on January 16. As per rules, every candidate who contested the election must submit a detailed statement of campaign expenses within the prescribed time frame (30 days from election results).
During a review meeting of heads of departments held on January 19, the civic chief had already directed officials to initiate necessary action. He instructed that candidates be informed about submitting their expense statements and that proper scrutiny and record maintenance be carried out strictly as per rules.
On February 10, during the election process for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor, the commissioner once again appealed to all candidates to submit their expense accounts by February 15 to ensure transparency and strict compliance with the law. He urged all elected members to treat the matter with seriousness.
According to information provided by the chief auditor as of February 10, out of 858 total candidates who contested the elections, only 472 have submitted their election expense accounts.
50 percent of corporators yet to comply
Nearly 50 percent of the elected members have still not submitted their expense statements. If the accounts are not submitted within the deadline, their membership may be cancelled.
Besides, defeated candidates who fail to submit their expense accounts may face disqualification from contesting elections for the next six years.