Following the Lok Sabha elections schedule announcement, the Bandipora district administration has instructed civilians and both retired and serving forces personnel possessing arms and ammunition under valid licenses to deposit them at the respective Police Stations within seven days.
In a series of orders, District Election Officer/District Magistrate Bandipora Shakeel-ul-Reman (IAS) directed all printing presses, operating within territorial jurisdiction of the north Kashmir district, to clearly indicate in the print line the names and addresses of printer and publisher of any election pamphlets or posters.
As per the order, “In connection with the subject & reference cited above, I, Shakeel ul Rehman. IAS, District Election Officer/District Magistrate, Bandipora, in exercise of the powers vested in me under Section 144 CrPC read with the instructions contained in para 3.6 of ….communication of Election Commission of India, do hereby order that all the civilians and forces personnel (retired & serving), presently residing within the territorial jurisdiction of the District Bandipora and who are in possession of arms & ammunition on a valid arms licence, shall deposit their arms and ammunition in the concerned Police Station(s) within a period of 07 days from the date of the issue of the order,” reads an order by the DEO/DM.”
“Further, in pursuance of instructions contained in …..communication of Election Commission of India, there shall be a complete prohibition on issuance of new arms licence till the culmination of election process”, it reads.
Meanwhile, the officer also ordered that all printing presses, operating within territorial jurisdiction of District Bandipora, shall indicate clearly in the print line the names and addresses of printer and publisher of any election pamphlets or posters or such other material printed by them.
“These printing presses shall also send the copies of the printed material (alongwith three extra copies of each such printed material) and the declaration obtained from the publisher as required under Section 127 A(2), to this office, within three days of its printing.”
The administration warned the printing press owners/operators against any violation of the provisions of section 127 A of Representation of People’s Act, 1951 and the instructions of Election Commission of India, underling that the same would be viewed “very seriously” which may in appropriate-cases include even the revocation of the licence of the printing press.
