Srinagar Admin asks KCCI to prepare fresh electoral roll of ‘genuine’ voters before polls

6 July 2021

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Srinagar, July 6: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar Mohammad Aijaz, has asked the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) to “purify and prepare a fresh Electoral Roll of genuine voters” so that the election process of the body could be concluded at an earliest.

An official order issued in this regard said that “the office of the DC Srinagar has received a complaint from small, medium business units, pointing out multiple votes in the form of subsidiary firms and registered as independent entities by some big business units, which is in violation of the Section 18 of The Representation of the People Act, 1950, which envisages ‘one vote for one individual.”

“In terms of the orders of the Hon’ble High Court of Jammu and Kashmir at Srinagar dated 23-3-2021 the Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar was directed to conduct and supervise the elections to Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industries,” reads the order.

A section of KCCI members believe that such a process must be initiated and owned by KCCI itself in the interest of democratic principles and minimum oversight of such an independent institution.

The High Court further directed that the elections shall be supervised by the Deputy Commissioner Srinagar. In its order the court order read, “It is made clear here that the above elections shall be supervised by Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar. He shall and is free to take all steps for conduct of elections of KCCI and while conducting the elections shall follow all the SOPS issued by the Government from time to time with regard to the COVID 19 Pandemic.”

The order states that this office received a complaint from small, medium business units, pointing out multiple votes in the form of subsidiary firms and registered as independent entities by some big business units. “The complainants have alleged that such a practice is discriminatory and puts small business groups at a disadvantage in the composition of Executive Committee of the KCC&I. Accordingly vide communication No. 796/DEOS/LBE/2021/63-65 dated 18-5-2021 of this office you were requested to share the list of electorates for the said elections along with a copy of bylaws /Articles of Association.”

It reads that the scrutiny of the list of electorates shared by you reveals that many business entities have registered subsidiary firms/companies in the chamber of commerce reportedly meant for voting only.

“In electoral process any person can’t have more than one vote, as such in a group of companies only flagship company should have the vote. In principle the scheme in vogue in KCCI is in violation of Section 18 of The Representation of the People Act, 1950 which envisages ‘one vote for one individual’, as reiterated by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in multitude of judgements including Veena Kumari Tandon V/s Neelam Bhalla & Ors dated 2-11-2007.,” it reads.

It reads that further scrutiny of the list of electors divulges that the entities have registered subsidiary firms/companies in the Chamber of Commerce and Industries and a significant number of them are reportedly inactive, like…..”

(Pending independent verification process, Ziraat Times has withheld the names of the firms/companies as mentioned in the government order)

“The listed instances are indicative and not exhaustive. Therefore, you are requested to kindly purify and prepare fresh Electoral Roll of genuine voters so that election process could be concluded at the earliest in light of the directions of the Hon’ble High Court, in a free, fair and impartial manner while following the COVID protocol,” reads the order.

(KNO)