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Download PDF Two weeks after the Election Commission (EC) Secretariat’s proposal for a fund of Tk 40.86 crore for updating the voter list, the finance ministry yesterday allocated Tk 25 crore.
The allocated amount is inadequate for conducting the huge task of updating the existing voter list, Secretary of the EC Secretariat Abdur Rashid Sarkar said, adding, “We will have to seek money again as it is not possible to complete the task with the allocated amount.”
The finance ministry will have to allocate more money, which is required for completing the constitutional task of preparing the voter list, he said.
“We disbursed the money…but we put conditions and asked the EC Secretariat to implement the project of updating the voter list in accordance with the Supreme Court’s verdict,” Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman told reporters yesterday.
The allotment paper sent to the EC Secretariat did not say whether the finance ministry will allocate more money, sources at the EC Secretariat said.
The finance ministry allocated the amount for the EC Secretariat on receiving the approval of the prime minister, ministry officials said, adding, “The EC secretariat will be provided with more money if necessary.”
On July 21, the task of updating the voter list by visiting door to door began amid monetary crisis, as there was no fund to meet the expenditure.
The task that got a slow start is yet to get momentum after 12 days.
The EC Secretariat has been facing tremendous difficulties to implement the EC’s decision for updating the existing voter list as the temporarily recruited staff, who have to spend money for materials and conveyance, are unwillingness to work due to ‘uncertainty’ of their remuneration.
The EC secretariat officials, however, said they will soon allocate money for some 1,35,000 staff who are working for updating the voter list.
Tk 27 crore will be required for remuneration of the staff, if everybody is provided with Tk 2000 for the task. Besides, the EC Secretariat will have to spend a good amount of money to meet the expenditure for purchasing necessary materials, and printing voter registration forms and voter list.
To update the voter list with over 6,000 manpower sitting at offices, the EC Secretariat in last June allocated about TK1 crore for transportation and purchasing other materials.
But the procedure started from July 1 failed to get response from the people and the EC finally decided to arrange door to door visits.
Earlier on May 3, the Secretariat published a draft voter list that the Supreme Court declared illegal, as the High Court’s directives were not followed to prepare it.
The EC Secretariat had spent Tk 43 crore for the purpose.
As the finance minister asked the EC Secretariat to justify the expenditure before allocation of fresh fund, the EC Secretariat sent accounts of its expenditure to the finance ministry.
The finance minister had on July 18 refused to allocate fresh fund for voter listing task without the EC’s clarification about spending the previously disbursed money.
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