KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 18

The Election Commission has directed the Ministry of Urban Development to cancel seven development projects that it had endorsed yesterday.

The EC wrote to Urban Development Ministry Secretary Ramesh Prasad Singh directing him to cancel the development projects stating that the endorsement of projects violated the election code of conduct.

The ministry had informed the EC yesterday that it had endorsed seven development projects.

The poll panel has asked the ministry to inform it its decision to cancel those projects by 11:00am tomorrow via email.

The EC also issued show cause notice to the ministry seeking clarification as to what policy decisions it had made after September 28 and whether or not the ministry's secretary-level decision to endorse development projects that could run for more than a year violated the election code of conduct. The EC said that the ministry secretaries were bound to know about the election code of conduct.

The ministry will have to send a representative to the EC within 24 hours with the ministry's response to the EC's show cause notice.

'The secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development decided to endorse development projects that could be carried out for more than a year at a time when the silence period for the parliamentary and provincial elections had already started. Since the decision was aimed at benefitting a particular party's candidate violating sections 4, 5, and 7 of the election code of conduct, why should the EC not take action against you in accordance with Section 23 (3) and 44 of the Election Commission Act?' the EC said in its show cause letter.

As per Section 23 (3) of the poll code of conduct, the EC can impose a fine not exceeding Rs 100,000 to individuals and institutions that violate EC orders. As per Section 44, the EC can take action against any government employee for defying EC directives.

The EC has separately issued a show cause notice to the Secretary of Urban Development Ministry Ramesh Prasad Singh for allegedly touring Dang district in an attempt to influence voters there. Urban Development Minister Metmani Chaudhary hails from Dang district.

The EC has asked Singh whether or not he visited Dang after getting his leave of absence endorsed and whether or not he influenced local voters. The EC said that if Singh had gone to Dang without getting his leave of absence endorsed and if he had influenced voters there, that would be a violation of the election code of conduct. The EC asked Singh to send his response within 24 hours via email. The EC has also written to the chief secretary seeking information about Singh's Dang visit.

A version of this article appears in the print on November 19, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.