Jamshedpur: In view of the upcoming Ghatshila Assembly By-election 2025, a meeting was held with printing press operators at the Collectorate Auditorium under the chairmanship of District Election Officer (DEO) Karn Satyarthi. During the meeting, the DEO briefed the press operators on the Election Commission’s guidelines and directed them to ensure their strict compliance during the election period.
The District Election Officer clearly stated that before printing any election-related promotional material — such as posters, banners, pamphlets, leaflets, or flexes — the printing press operator must mention the name, address, and number of the printer and publisher on each printed item. In addition, a copy of each such material must be submitted by the concerned political party or candidate to the competent authority.
He warned that printing any election-related material without the name of the printer and publisher is a violation of Section 127A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and violators will face legal action, which may include imprisonment of up to six months and cancellation of the printing press’s license. The DEO further instructed that all election publicity materials must carry the name of the printer and publisher without exception. Political parties and candidates must also seek pre-certification of all promotional materials from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) located at the District Public Relations Office.
The District Election Officer cautioned press operators against printing campaign materials for any candidate or political party under a false name or without proper approval. The district administration, he said, will keep a strict watch on such activities. He appealed to all printing press operators to cooperate with the administration in ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections, emphasizing that it is a shared responsibility to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Development Commissioner Nagendra Paswan, Deputy Election Officer Priyanka Singh, District Public Relations Officer Panchanan Oraon, and other concerned officials.
