Enforcement squads struggle as poll campaign materials flood city
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Local body polls are taking a heavy toll on the capital, with illegal flex boards and campaign materials defacing public spaces across Thiruvananthapuram. Medians, footpaths and even electric posts have been taken over by unauthorised campaign displays, despite the green protocol being in force. There are four enforcement squads at the district level and 25 under the city corporation. However, officials say enforcement is proving extremely difficult this time. According to Suchitwa Mission authorities, unlike Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, monitoring violations during local body polls is challenging as elections are held at the ward level. Thiruvananthapuram district has 96 local bodies, including the district panchayat, the corporation, four municipalities, 11 block panchayats and 73 grama panchayats. With thousands of candidates in the fray, enforcement teams are able to carry out only random checks. Adding to the challenges, the entire responsibility for conducting local body elections falls on the Local Self-Government Department. Almost every official in local bodies has election duties as returning officer or assistant returning officer. Enforcement is just one among many responsibilities, making large-scale action difficult, an official said. This year, the green protocol has been integrated into the Model Code of Conduct in a statutory manner. The Suchitwa Mission has also intensified pre-election awareness campaigns, insisting that all campaign materials must be made solely of paper, pure cotton or permissible polyethylene-based materials. So far, enforcement squads have conducted 317 inspections, seized 688kg of banned materials and collected `16,500 in fines till Tuesday. A Suchitwa Mission official said district squads are struggling because an official from the respective local body must be present during enforcement.We have our limitations, and the secretary of the concerned panchayat or local body is responsible for enforcement. We are carrying out random inspections every day, the official said. Squads also face resistance when attempting to seize illegal materials, leading to disputes with candidates and political parties. Flex boards with fake QR codes are being used extensively for campaigning, the official added.
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