AP Panchayat Elections 2021: SEC Guidelines For Poll Expenditure Limit And Observers

The process of nominations for the second phase of Panchayat Elections has commenced in Andhra Pradesh. The State Election Commission has issued guidelines about the observers and the poll expenditure limit for the Sarpanch and ward candidates.

The SEC has appointed IFS officers as expenditure observers for all the 13 districts. SEC secretary Kanna Babu said the observers will coordinate with IAS officers posted as general observers for the panchayat polls.

Sarpanch candidates in villages with more than 10,000 population as per the 2011 census can spend up to Rs 2.5 lakh, and ward members up to Rs 50,000. At other places, the limit for a  sarpanch candidate is set at Rs 1.5 lakh.

On the other hand, SEC has invited former Telangana state election commissioner V Nagireddy as a special observer in the panchayat elections.

State Panchayati Raj Commissioner Girija Shankar directed the district in-charge officers to immediately appoint nodal officers for each district to liaise with the Election Commission and the district. A review meeting was held with the in-charge officers of 13 districts regarding the Gram Panchayat elections.