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Raipur, March 13 (HS). On Wednesday, on the instructions of Collector Dr. Gaurav Singh, an important meeting was held with various printers and publishers of the district regarding the preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. In this meeting held in the Red Cross conference room, Deputy District Election Officer Umashankar Bande and master trainers gave detailed information to the printers and printers about the guidelines of the Election Commission regarding the political publicity materials to be printed during the Lok Sabha elections. Bande said in the meeting that as soon as the Model Code of Conduct for Assembly elections becomes effective, it will be binding on all printers and publishers to follow the provisions and guidelines contained in the Representation of the People Act.
Deputy District Election Officer said that it will be the responsibility of the printers to submit three copies of the material printed for campaigning during the election and the declaration of the publisher to the District Election Office within 72 hours or three days of printing. He said that it will be mandatory to mention the name of the printer and publisher and the printed number on the printed materials. The Deputy District Election Officer said that the matter to be printed in the publicity material for the assembly elections will be within the scope of the Model Code of Conduct.
In the meeting, Master Trainers told that for printing any kind of publicity material like handbill, pamphlet, poster, banner, flex etc., the order will be placed by the concerned person only after filling the declaration form to the printer. Master Trainer has advised the printers not to take printing orders without declaration form. It was further informed in the meeting that it will be the responsibility of the printers to submit three sets of printed material and the publisher's declaration to the District Election Office within 72 hours of printing the campaign material. During this period, if any violation of the provisions of Section 127A of the Public Representation Act 1951 is found, punitive action will also be taken. Violation of this Act can lead to imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of Rs 2,000 or both.
The Deputy District Election Officer said that under this Act, no person shall print any election related pamphlet, poster or other publicity material unless he has a declaration signed by the publisher and attested by two persons. For printing, consent of the political party or candidate or election agent will be necessary. If the name of the publisher and printer is not mentioned in the pamphlet-poster, the punishment will be six months' imprisonment or a fine of two thousand rupees or both.
It was further informed in the meeting that action can be taken against printers even for printing promotional material on printing material banned by the Government of India, State Government or local bodies and Commission-Tribunal. In the meeting, the suggestions of printers and publishers were also listened to carefully and their doubts were also resolved.