EC asks Tripura govt to stop development works

Agartala, Jan 18 (UNI) Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked the Tripura government to stop wooing voters for the coming February 23 Assembly elections by undertaking large number of construction and renovation works, official sources said here today.

During a meeting with state administration yesterday, Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami asked Chief Secretary Shashi Prakash to stop implementation of developmental works and beneficiary selection under any scheme excepting the regular benefits offered to a certain section of the people.

Mr Gopalaswami along with Election Commissioners Y S Qureshi and Navin Chawla had taken the decision following the Opposition Congress' allegations that the government had of late undertaken a lot of construction and renovation works to influence the voters ahead of poll.

It also alleged that the Left Front government had undertaken selection of new beneficiaries under several schemes.

The state government had undertaken the construction of drains and renovation of city roads on war-footing only after announcement of the poll-schedule, Opposition leader in the Assembly Ratan Lal Nath said adding that the Left Front was trying to woo the electorate.

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