Spending for 12th parliamentary polls expected to cross Tk 20 billion

The Election Commission had initially estimated the spending for the 12th parliamentary polls at Tk 15 billion, but the total figure is now expected to cross Tk 20 billion.

EC Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath said on Tuesday the cost of the Jan 7 election may even exceed Tk 22 billion.

The sum includes more than Tk 12 billion for the law-enforcing agencies to maintain order, and over Tk 10.5 billion to conduct the polls, reports bdnews24.com.

As the number of voters has increased to nearly 120 million, the EC needed to throw up more polling stations and raise the allocation for security while the allowance for election officials has increased, said Ashok.

Finance Secretary Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder said they increased the allocation for the election by 20 per cent compared with the last parliamentary polls.

“But the scope of duty [of law-enforcing agencies and election officials] has been broadened on the EC’s orders, that’s why the expense has increased.”

Around 1.6 million people are directly or indirectly working to conduct the election, according to Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal.