Punjab Panchayat Elections: State Election Commission Issues Directions Regarding "No Dues Certificate" or "No Objection Certificate"

The Punjab Panchayat Elections have been announced to be held on October 15, 2024, and nomination forms will be accepted up to October 4, 2024, till 3.00 pm in the offices of Returning Officers.

Disclosing this here today, The Punjab State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhuri said that to facilitate the candidates for filing of nomination papers, the Commission has issued directions to all District Election Officers and Returning Officers that wherever "No Dues Certificate or a No Objection Certificate" is required to be attached to the Nomination papers on account of the rules or procedures of the concerned Authorities and if the candidate is unable to obtain such certificate, despite his/her efforts, then he/she can file an Affidavit stating clearly that he/she is not in arrears of any tax or other dues of the concerned authority and is also not in unauthorized occupation of property belonging to any local authority in terms of Section 11 of the Punjab State Election Commission Act, 1994.

He further informed that to make the process of preparing these affidavits simpler, further directions have been issued that said affidavits may be issued under the verification and attestation of Executive Magistrate/Oath Commissioner, as well as Notary Public, and shall be accepted. The Returning Officer shall accept such nomination papers and forward the affidavit to the concerned authority with a direction to send a report within, but not later than, 24 hours, failing which it shall be presumed that he/she is not a defaulter or unauthorized occupant in terms of the Punjab State Election Commission Act, 1994.

In addition to the above, he added that directions have also been issued by the Commission that the Gram Panchayat-wise list of pending dues, if any, recoverable by the Gram Panchayat or concerned Authority, as available in the BDPOs office, shall be prepared and provided by the BDPO to the concerned Returning Officer, who will keep such list on his table for reference while accepting nominations. In case any dues are shown against any intending candidate as per the list, the candidate may provide evidence of having paid the dues.

Sharing more details, he added that in case the candidate has not paid such dues, then he would be given due opportunity to deposit such dues before the concerned authority and would be provided time till the beginning of the period of scrutiny i.e. 11 a.m. 5th Oct.2024, for submitting proof of deposit of pending dues. A copy of the above instructions, so issued to the DCs-cum-District Election Officers, has been placed on the website of the State Election Commission.