Hyderabad: Officials of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation at headquarters, zonal and circle offices are violating the model code of conduct (MCC), which came into effect on December 23, by putting up calendars printed by the government bearing pictures of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his cabinet ministers promoting welfare schemes in their offices.
The Election Commission of India in its manual released in March last year clearly stated that government offices should not display photographs of any minister or other political functionary. Yet, many government websites, including the municipal administration and urban development website (www.telangana.gov.in/departments/municipal-administration-and-urban-development) continue to display the name of TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao, who is also IT and MA&UD minister.
The government’s official website (www.telangana.gov.in) displays the pictures of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Even the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority, which covers 40 municipalities, displays the photographs of the Chief Minister and Mr Rama Rao on its website.
The State Election Commission (SEC), while issuing the poll schedule on December 23 last year, had announced that the model code came into force with immediate effect. All references to people’s representatives, including the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, politicians and political parties, available on Central or State government websites must be taken down immediately after the model code comes into force. However, a majority of the municipal offices in the city continue to display photographs of ruling party politicians and their welfare schemes.
The MCC came into effect in GHMC limits for the Dabeerpura bye-election. Surprisingly, officials at the civic headquarters claim they are unaware of the implementation of the model code in GHMC limits, while the election wing officials claim that they have already issued notices pertaining to government advertisements and pictures of all elected representatives.
