EC sets upazila polls spending at Tk 6.77b

The election authorities have estimated the cost at Tk 6.77 billion (677 crore) for holding the upcoming fifth upazila (UZ) council polls across the country.

According to officials concerned, nearly 67 per cent of the projected requirement of funds would be used to maintain law and order.

The overall spending is said to be more than double the amount used for the 2014 upazila elections.

This, however, excludes the expenses for using EVM (electronic voting machine) materials being bought under a project at Tk 38 billion.

Election Commission (EC) sources said the amount would be used for nearly 50 areas to successfully hold the key local government elections likely in March.

There are two broad areas -- Tk 2.30 billion will be spent for meeting operational expenses and the remaining part for the maintenance of law and order.

A major chunk of the operational expenses will be made for the officials working for the polls and the rest for printing purposes and carrying voting materials to polling stations.

The amount of Tk 6.77b will be spent from the allocation of Tk 13.0 billion (1,300 crore) made in the national budget for the EC.

Seeking anonymity, an EC official said the estimation had been enhanced because of the increasing number of polling centres. Inflation is another reason.

Like other elections, a large volume of the spending would go to law-enforcement agencies like police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Ansar for maintaining law and order during the period, he said.

"So, we need more law-enforcers for additional polling centres. Normally, the number of candidates in such polls is higher than that of other elections. So, the hike is logical," he said.

The official further said that some changes, if necessary, might happen in the initial outlay later on.

EC secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said they would announce the election schedule next month for polls in around 500 upazilas.

The elections will be held in five phases possibly from the first week of March.

Apart from making budget, Mr Ahmed said the commission was preparing for holding another fair and participatory election for which it was formed.

Shusashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar said, "The question is how logical the expenditure is. Is the spending done in a transparent way?"

Mr Majumdar said it was observed in the past that members of the security forces in many cases created obstacles to holding free, fair and acceptable polls.

"I hope the forthcoming polls will not be biased towards any quarter," he stated.

The expenditure for the fourth upazila elections in 2014 was Tk 3.35 billion against Tk 1.33 billion spent in the 2009 upazila elections.

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