PMC voters figure in PCB poll lists

Pranjal Bhuyan / TNN / Dec 7, 2007, 03:45 IST

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The election process in the PCB has allegations that around 400 residents, who voted in the PMC polls, have also been included in the PCB's electoral list.

PUNE: The election process in the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) has once again come under the scanner with allegations that around 400 residents from five societies in Ghorpadi, who voted in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) polls this year, have also been included in the PCB's electoral list.
The PCB officials, on their part, stated that the onus of proving such claims and wrongdoing lies with petitioners who have brought the issue to the PCB's notice.
The matter relates to five places in PCB's ward number seven (Ghorpadi) locality, including Bharat Forge Housing Society, Tata Housing Society, Venkateshwara Housing Society, Vasantrao Housing Society, and some residences near the Moshkoba Mandir area.
According to Ghorpadi Gaon-based activists Ajay Ganeshkar and Shantaram Kawade, close to 400 residents of these housing societies had their names registered for the PMC polls held in February this year. The duo has copies of PMC voters in which these residents figure as voters of area number 12 of PMC's ward number 45 (Vikasnagar).

"Now the same, nearly 400, names figure in the preliminary electoral list released by the PCB as voters for the cantonment's ward number seven. We have even submitted copies of the PMC list to the PCB office as proof," said Kawade.
The Cantonments Acts of 2006 and the Cantonments Electoral Rolls of 2007 clearly state that only residents of localities falling within the cantonment limits can enrol as voters or vote in polls to the cantonment boards.

A senior PCB official told TOI that such discrepancies were frequent in Ghorpadi area, where PMC localities completely surround a small PCB enclave. Some such residents contacted by TOI whose names figure in both the lists refused to be drawn into the controversy.
Vinod Mathurawala, PCB-nominated member, said that anybody having objections regarding the list can appeal to the board. "That is the rule under the various acts governing the cantonment polls and that is why we gave three whole weeks only for receiving claims and objections from aggrieved parties," he said.
According to him, Pune Camp had seen a lot of shift in population during the past few years due to space crunch and in certain pockets names of voters who have moved out may have remained. "Such type of minor discrepancies crop up everywhere and should not be blown out of proportion," Mathurawala added.

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