Deputy Collectors seek Rs 90 crore reimbursement for pending Telangana election bills

The Deputy Collectors' Association has sought around Rs 90 crore towards additional expenditure incurred during the 2023 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Election Commission maintains that bills within sanctioned budget allocations have been cleared.

Hyderabad: A fresh dispute has surfaced over pending bills relating to the 2023 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with the Deputy Collectors’ Association seeking reimbursement of additional expenditure amounting to around Rs 90 crore. Yet, Election Commission sources maintained that all bills covered by the budget allocations have been cleared.

The Association, led by its State president V Lachi Reddy, met the Chief Electoral Officer Sudarshan Reddy recently and sought immediate release of pending bills and additional budgetary support. It contended that the allocations under various expenditure heads were inadequate, forcing Returning Officers (ROs) and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) in several constituencies to borrow money to meet election-related expenses.

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The Association said the delay left officials facing pressure from lenders, some of whom had approached courts for recovery of dues and were visiting their offices and residences. This was affecting their dignity and professional reputation, it argued. It cited pending additional expenditure proposals relating to Nampally Assembly and Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituencies.

However, Election Commission sources said all bills within the budget allocations had been cleared. They maintained that District Collectors were responsible for election expenditure and clearing the bills. The EC authorities questioned who authorised the additional expenditure now being claimed. The Commission sought reports from Collectors on the expenditure incurred beyond sanctioned allocations and the authority under whose approval it was made.

“We sought relevant orders, bills and accounts from the District Collectors who are responsible for the election expenditure. Upon their response, we will submit a report to the EC,” said a top official in the Telangana Chief Electoral Officer’s office.

The dispute has also brought into focus the division of responsibility for election expenditure. According to official parliamentary records, the Centre bears the administrative cost of Lok Sabha elections held independently, while State governments meet the cost of Assembly elections conducted separately. These costs include polling personnel, EVMs and security arrangements. Campaign expenditure is borne separately by candidates and political parties.

The Deputy Collectors’ Association argued that officials cannot be held personally liable for essential expenditure incurred while discharging election duties, particularly when sanctioned allocations fall short. It also sought supplementary funds to reimburse the amounts spent, stating that proposals for additional allocations were already submitted and they remained pending.