The state election commission has sent a proposal to the government to increase the campaigning expenditure limit for candidates contesting the upcoming civic polls.

“Considering the inflation rate, the state election commission is of the belief that the present ceiling on the campaign expenses set for civic polls is not sufficient to meet the corresponding requirements. Hence, the commission has sent a proposal to the state urban development department, recommending a necessary provision in the municipal election rules for raising the existing ceiling on campaign expenditure for different types of urban local bodies.,” joint election commissioner Ahibhushan Pandey said on Sunday.

He added: “We are expecting the urban develop department to give its response at the earliest so that the revised limits for campaign expenditure may be introduced for the May 16 polls.”

The present limit for election campaign expenditure of a candidate contesting for the post of ward councillor is envisaged by Rule 100 of the Bihar Municipal Election Rules, 2007. The election commission has proposed to raise the limit for different types of civic bodies by Rs 10000 to 15000.

Apart from proposal for hike in campaign expenditure, the poll panel has made various other changes to ensure peaceful and smooth elections. For instance, the election commission has decided to put a limit of 1,200 voters per polling booth and, for the first time, every booth would also have a women cell. “The limit on the number of voters at a polling booth has been ascertained to avoid overcrowding at a single booth. Moreover, a separate women cell would be made at each polling centre for which, the state election commission has appointed one woman observer with two assistants. This women cell would have various facilities including drinking water, toilets and a doctor for emerge-ncy situations,” said Pandey.

The poll panel, for the first made, is putting up polling booths in slum areas to ensure easy accessibility to polling booths to the sanitary workers. Approximately 60 lakh voters are expected to cast their votes in the upcoming civic polls to elect 2,760 ward councillors from 114 urban local bodies, including seven municipal corporations, 38 municipal councils and 69 nagar panchayats, across the state.

In another first, the commission has made it mandatory for the candidates to attach documentary evidence again-st their educational qualification filled in the nomination form. “This is a good initiative taken by the election commission. It would ensure that authentic information about the candidate is revealed. Earlier, the candidates were only required to mention whether they were literate or not,” said Ravi Ranjan, advocate, Patna High Court.