Over Tk 1.0b to be spent on security for JS polls
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Shakhawat Hossain
More than Tk 1.00 billion (100 crore) will be spent only for law enforcing agencies to maintain law and order during the 9th parliamentary election to be held on December 29 in a bid to transition to democracy, officials said Wednesday.
This will be the record spending in the country's history of parliamentary polls as the expenditure on law enforcing agencies on any previous occasion never crossed Tk 500 million, said a finance ministry official.
In the last parliamentary election held in 2001-02 fiscal, the Election Commission (EC) was allocated a fund of Tk 1.03 billion. But about Tk 4.60 billion has been kept aside for the EC in the current fiscal.
The official said the home ministry has requested the EC to get released Tk 1.29 billion from the finance ministry as it has to field some 1.0 million members of the law enforcing agencies.
The EC has, however, wanted the finance ministry to release about Tk 860 million immediately for successful holding of the much-cherished election that has been delayed by nearly two Of the total aspirants, 3,562 filed nominations to run for the posts of chairman, 2,968 for the posts of vice-chairman (general) and 1,863 for the posts of vice-chairman reserved for women, the EC said.
A number of leaders of major political parties, who failed to get party tickets for the December 29 parliamentary polls, also submitted nominations for upazila elections.
During the scrutiny of nomination papers, scheduled for December 17-19, the returning officers will look into eligibility of the candidates in the context of default loans. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is December 31.
Under the amended Representation of the People Ordinance (RPO), any person willing to contest the election requires to clear default loans and outstanding utility bills seven days before submission of nomination papers.
Under the existing provisions, if anyone has a minimum outstanding loan of Tk 50,000, he is a sure candidate for inclusion in the report of the Credit Information Bureau (CIB) of the central bank.
On the other hand, the commercial banks are also required to inform the election officials concerned of any default loan below Tk 50,000 against any polls aspirant, officials said.
Earlier the central bank instructed the banks and non-banking financial institutions (NBFIs) to ensure presence of their executives in any hearing on the default loan cases.
"We've have already instructed the officials concerned to attend the offices of the returning officers during the scrutiny of nomination papers," a senior executive of a state-owned commercial bank told the FE.
He also said the officials will provide information relating to default loans to the returning officers across the country.
More than Tk 1.00 billion (100 crore) will be spent only for law enforcing agencies to maintain law and order during the 9th parliamentary election to be held on December 29 in a bid to transition to democracy, officials said Wednesday.
This will be the record spending in the country's history of parliamentary polls as the expenditure on law enforcing agencies on any previous occasion never crossed Tk 500 million, said a finance ministry official.
In the last parliamentary election held in 2001-02 fiscal, the Election Commission (EC) was allocated a fund of Tk 1.03 billion. But about Tk 4.60 billion has been kept aside for the EC in the current fiscal.
The official said the home ministry has requested the EC to get released Tk 1.29 billion from the finance ministry as it has to field some 1.0 million members of the law enforcing agencies.
The EC has, however, wanted the finance ministry to release about Tk 860 million immediately for successful holding of the much-cherished election that has been delayed by nearly two Of the total aspirants, 3,562 filed nominations to run for the posts of chairman, 2,968 for the posts of vice-chairman (general) and 1,863 for the posts of vice-chairman reserved for women, the EC said.
A number of leaders of major political parties, who failed to get party tickets for the December 29 parliamentary polls, also submitted nominations for upazila elections.
During the scrutiny of nomination papers, scheduled for December 17-19, the returning officers will look into eligibility of the candidates in the context of default loans. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is December 31.
Under the amended Representation of the People Ordinance (RPO), any person willing to contest the election requires to clear default loans and outstanding utility bills seven days before submission of nomination papers.
Under the existing provisions, if anyone has a minimum outstanding loan of Tk 50,000, he is a sure candidate for inclusion in the report of the Credit Information Bureau (CIB) of the central bank.
On the other hand, the commercial banks are also required to inform the election officials concerned of any default loan below Tk 50,000 against any polls aspirant, officials said.
Earlier the central bank instructed the banks and non-banking financial institutions (NBFIs) to ensure presence of their executives in any hearing on the default loan cases.
"We've have already instructed the officials concerned to attend the offices of the returning officers during the scrutiny of nomination papers," a senior executive of a state-owned commercial bank told the FE.
He also said the officials will provide information relating to default loans to the returning officers across the country.