No dues certificate

In July 2015 Delhi High Court issued order that the EC should consider the possibility of requiring political parties fielding candidates in any election to furnish an affidavit that they are not in arrears of any electricity, water, telephone or other public dues, as a pre-condition to their fielding. Now three years later the Election Commission of India has awoken to this order, and taken first step in the direction for which it deserves compliments. EC has now ordered that in compliance to the court order of July 2015 all recognized national and State political parties before fielding their candidates in the elections will have to furnish no arrears certificate to the EC declaring that no arrears on account of house rent, electricity, water supply or any other service are pending.  In other words it also means that first the certificate is to be provided by the candidates of the party who are going to be fielded for election and second the party itself will furnish certificate of no arrears. Most of the national level parties are occupying Government accommodation in New Delhi and in many states, including J&K; many State level parties also are occupying Government accommodation though many of them have their private accommodation also.
The order of the Delhi High Court and now followed by the EC has a background. Large number of complaints has come to the Estates and Protocol Departments in various states including the capital State of Delhi stating that political parties have become defaulters and huge amounts of rent and other services are in arrears outstanding against them. While the Government comes down with a heavy hand on individuals who become defaulters on this count, the Governments or the administration has been soft paddling with the political parties and their heavyweights. We hail the directive of the EC though it has come belatedly. However, the EC has not mentioned what action it would propose to take against the defaulting parties. Will they be ordered to vacate or will services like electricity, water etc. disconnected. We would have felt very happy if that had also been mentioned and no special legislation needed to be resorted to.

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