Kolkata: The state Election Commission (SEC) has come out with clear-cut guidelines regarding eligibility and ineligibility of candidature in connection with the Panchayat elections in the state scheduled on July 8.
The move is to ensure that the District Panchayat Election Officers have a clear idea of the nomination process.
According to a notification issued by the SEC secretary, the instructors of Child Education Centre and instructors of Child Labour School. Community Health Guides, Anganwadi workers and helpers, Asha workers, Primary & High School teachers, contractors working within the three-tier Panchayat system, contractor working with PWD or any other department of the state government, employees under electricity boards of the state government, tax defaulter with either the government or the Panchayat, Sishu Siksha Sahayak or Sahayikas under SSK and MSK, professors, assistant professors, lecturers, readers of state-aided colleges, civil defence volunteers, resource persons of Gram Panchayat, village and district, community service provider, an employee of urban local bodies, barefoot technician and supervisors engaged under 100 days work and office bearers of Sangha under National Rural Livelihood Mission are all eligible to contest.
Persons not eligible to contest in the Panchayat polls include Panchayat tax officers, contractual staff of PRI (Panchayati Raj Institutions), ration shop dealers, home guard, civic volunteer, gram rozgar sevak, village-level entrepreneur, skilled technical persons, Siksha Bandhu, Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife (ANM) I and II, youth volunteer, block-level facilitator, contractual medical officer under BMOH, employees under NHM, Gram Panchayat computerised accounts assistant, contractual Group D of state government, chairman District Primary School Council and data entry operators of Bangla Sahayata Kendras.
A person needs to have attained 21 years of age for contesting in the polls.
According to sources, it has come to the notice of the SEC that employees associated with 100 days work have filed nominations for contesting the elections which prompted the rural poll body to come out with the guideline.