NEW DELHI: EC Tuesday directed that the “political neutrality” provision of model code of conduct (MCC) will henceforth apply not just to serving govt employees in poll-bound states but also to retired govt officials and staffers attached, employed or re-employed by state govts.As per relevant MCC instructions, govt employees, and now retired or re-employed officers, “are not expected to take part in any election campaign or canvassing and should take scrupulous care not to lend their names, official position or authority to assist one individual/political party/group against another”.
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MCC provisions apply to all organisations, committees, corporations and commissions funded wholly or partially by govt, and their employees. Relevant conduct rules in states also prohibit govt servants from taking part in political activities and elections.EC directed that retired and re-employed officials and staffers will, during the MCC period, not summon any election-related officer of the constituency or district where polls have been announced for official meetings, or hold video conferences with them. Any violation of the directions “shall be viewed seriously”, it said in a letter to chief secretaries and CEO of five poll-bound states – UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur.Until now, there were no guidelines on political neutrality and conduct of retired officials attached or re-employed by states during MCC period. Some are attached to or re-employed by the offices of CMs and ministers.