THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government has directed all departments to speed up ongoing projects and start new ones before the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for the assembly election comes into effect. The order issued by the General Administration Department said there were previous experiences of government seeking exemption from the Election Commission (EC) for the works that could have been started/completed well before the MCC period. “This often leads to unnecessary controversies, besides imposing added workload to the poll machinery,” the order said.
The order, issued on Thursday, holds significance as the government has announced a slew of projects as part of its 100-day programme, which is widely considered as a pre-election commitment.
The state will head for assembly polls in the first quarter of next year and the MCC will come into play once the EC announces the poll date. The EC rule states no work will be allowed to start, including the ones where work orders have been issued but no work has started on the field, once the MCC comes into play.
However, the work for which funds have been released and materials have reached the work site will be allowed. There is also no bar on the release of payment for the works completed.
The controversies over MCC violation regarding the announcement of projects have been a usual trend in the run-up to elections. It is in this context that the order was issued to the departments.