State Election Commission Issues Guidelines for “No Dues Certificate” or “No Objection Certificate” for Gram Panchayat Elections
Chandigarh, September 30
The State Election Commission has announced that General Elections for Gram Panchayats will be held on October 15, 2024, with nominations accepted until October 4, 2024, by 3:00 PM at the offices of Returning Officers.
Addressing the media, State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhuri shared that to facilitate the filing of nomination papers, the Commission has issued instructions to all District Election Officers and Returning Officers. These instructions pertain to the submission of the “No Dues Certificate” or “No Objection Certificate” which may be required under the rules or procedures of the concerned authorities.
If a candidate is unable to obtain such certificates despite best efforts, the candidate may submit an affidavit declaring that they do not owe any taxes or other dues to the concerned authority and are not in unauthorized possession of property belonging to any local authority as per Section 11 of the Punjab State Election Commission Act, 1994.
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To simplify the process, the Commissioner further elaborated that such affidavits can be verified and attested by an Executive Magistrate, Oath Commissioner, or Notary Public, and these will be accepted by the Returning Officer. Upon submission, the affidavit will be forwarded to the concerned authority with a request to verify and respond within 24 hours. If no response is received within the stipulated time, it will be presumed that the candidate is neither a defaulter nor an unauthorized occupant as per the Act.
Additionally, the Commission has directed that a Gram Panchayat-wise list of pending dues, if any, recoverable by the Gram Panchayat or any other concerned authority, be prepared and made available by the Block Development and Panchayat Officers (BDPOs). This list will be provided to the concerned Returning Officers for reference during the acceptance of nominations. If any candidate’s name appears on the list with outstanding dues, the candidate must provide evidence of having cleared these dues.
In cases where the dues are yet to be settled, the candidate will be given the opportunity to pay the dues to the concerned authority. Candidates have time until the beginning of the scrutiny period, i.e., 11:00 AM on October 5, 2024, to submit proof of payment for any pending dues.
A copy of these instructions has been shared with the Deputy Commissioners-cum-District Election Officers and is available on the official website of the State Election Commission.
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