Bhubaneswar, April 2 (IANS) Taking strong note of the allegations that the services of Bharat Nirman Volunteers are being misused in Odisha, the Election Commission Wednesday directed the state government to keep them out of the electioneering.
"Some political parties informed us that the services of the Bharat Nirman Volunteers are being misused. The commission directs that these volunteers will not be used in any election activities," Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi, one of the Election Commissioners, told reporters here.
Election Commissioners H.S. Brahma and Zaidi gave the direction after holding meetings with the representatives of different political parties here.
Both the commissioners who arrived here Wednesday, also met state officials.
Bharat Nirman Volunteers are appointed by the government in rural areas to act as a link between a group of families and the government. They work to ensure the households can access benefits under various government sponsored programmes.
The opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, alleged the state government has been using them for its political campaign in the name of electoral awareness.
The BJP recently also filed a petition before the commission.
Polling for the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state and to the 147-member assembly would be simultaneously held April 10 and 17.
Dehati Disco Trailer: Ganesh Acharya's 'Dehati Disco' trailer came out, acting along with dance won hearts
Dance has always been a special part of Indian cinema. So far, many such films have been released in Bollywood, which are based on dance, and in these films, the famous dancers of the industry have
Heritage conservation in BJP manifesto
New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) Heritage sites, Indian languages, handicrafts and artisans along with key issues of development and economy find place in the BJP manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections
Bihar: In the seventh class examination paper, Kashmir was told as a separate country, if the dispute escalated, it was told human error
A disputed matter has come to light from Bihar regarding Kashmir. In a school in the Kishanganj district here, Kashmir has been described as a separate country in the Class VII examination paper.
Afghanistan skipper Nabi blames losing early wickets for loss
Canberra, Feb 18 (IANS) Afghanistan skipper Mohammad Nabi rued losing too many wickets upfront as the main cause for their loss against Bangladesh in a Pool A World Cup encounter here
81,398 new patients were found in 24 hours, the highest in the last 6 months; Over 450 contagious deaths on the second consecutive day
Things are getting worse in the country due to Corona. On Thursday, the corona report of 81,398 people came positive, 50,384 patients were cured and 468 people died. In this way, the number of active
Government's tenet is development of all: Mukherjee
New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee Monday said that the fundamental tenet of the government is development of all.Addressing the members of two houses of parliament at the start of
3G connectivity gains momentum in UP
Lucknow, Jan 10 (IANS) A staggering 548 development blocks in Utttar Pradesh - more than half of the state's 820 blocks - would be connected to 3G services by May, an official said Saturday.This
Ram Mandir Inauguration: Complete schedule of Pran Pratishtha released, programs will be held from 16 to 22 January, read details of each here
Preparations are being made to perform the formal puja before the consecration of the idol of Ramlala. Apart from the vital substances, his Deity has a special plan for bed accommodation. In this
Government has to Monitor Shelter Home Scheme, SC
New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) The Supreme Court Friday told the government that it could not take the position that after allocating funds to states for setting up shelter homes, it was not its burden
Radhe Movie Review: Salman completes Eid's commitment; Prabhudheva completes every formula of Masala film
Movie Review: Radhey: Your Most Wanted Bhai