The State Election Commission (SEC) filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking a direction to the government (Principal Secretaries of Finance and Panchayat Raj & Rural Development) to provide budget and release funds as and when a request is made by it (SEC) for conducting elections. The SEC also prayed for assistance from the government in holding the civic polls.
State Election Commissioner N. Ramesh Kumar said in his affidavit that the government was trying to take control of the commission and its employees by miring them in controversies and casting aspersions on their functioning.
In the affidavit, he stated that the SEC was not being provided adequate support and resources needed to discharge its duties, as a consequence of his recent contempt petition against the government's action of not reinstating him as the Commissioner.
Mr. Ramesh Kumar pointed out that the High Court had struck down the AP Panchayat Raj (second amendment) ordinance - 2020 resulting in his restoration as the State Election Commissioner.
‘Funds not released’
He said the process of elections, which were postponed due to the COVID pandemic, was still under way and his reminders for the release of ₹40 lakh (which was sanctioned through G.O. Rt.No.35 dated January 17, 2020) was deliberately kept pending even as the SEC faced acute shortage of funds.
As the respondents did not respond, the SEC appealed to Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan in writing seeking his intervention in the matter in order to make the government enable the SEC to discharge the duties cast upon it under Article 243-K (3) of the Constitution.
