[saket77]

Would be an eye opener to learn if someone here got their vehicle taken away for elections and how and when it were returned. And in what condition.

[cryptarchy]

This is 90s era nostalgia. Even Bihar is not that bad, lol!

[HIGHWAY_PATROL]

Originally Posted by sbanerjee

The cops here are issuing requisition slips, snatching away your licence or RC as collateral and you have to turn up for election duty.

The purpose of this post is, I want to know how this works out in other states? Also what options we have on our side to refuse, and not hand over our new SUVs for the dance of democracy.

Isn't this an infringement on personal liberty!

And what exactly is meant by 'You have to turn up for election duty?'

Do you have to just part with your car for some days during elections or do you also have to become a driver for government?

[sbanerjee]

Originally Posted by HIGHWAY_PATROL

Isn't this an infringement on personal liberty!

And what exactly is meant by 'You have to turn up for election duty?'

Do you have to just part with your car for some days during elections or do you also have to become a driver for government?

If you have a driver, need to provide him with the car, if self driven, either you be the driver for election duty or arrange for a temporary driver.

Attaching a photo of a neighbourhood Xylo.

[HIGHWAY_PATROL]

The attachment says that the owner/drivers must report whenever they are called over telephone.

I thought such things happen only in banana republics!

Why don't they just call Ola or Uber instead!

[ABHI_1512]

Originally Posted by sbanerjee

It doesn't matter if it is self driven, having family members or sick person on board or night or day. The cops here are issuing requisition slips, snatching away your licence or RC as collateral and you have to turn up for election duty.

The purpose of this post is, I want to know how this works out in other states? Also what options we have on our side to refuse, and not hand over our new SUVs for the dance of democracy.

First things first, private cars can be requisitioned for poll purposes but only after the option of using government and commercial vehicles are fully exhausted. The rule is applicable for every state of India and not only West Bengal.

The problem is, the dependency of the transport sector on commercial vehicles across the state of West Bengal and that is why private vehicles are also requisitioned some times as a stop gap measure, specially in the rural areas or suburbs of the city. But one can always have a way out if any private car is requisitioned.

One can apply to the local district election office and state the reasons of how it will impact your daily life without the vehicle. It can be done proactively as well as after the vehicle has been requisitioned. In fact, there is a judgement from Calcutta High Court as well that vehicles can't be forcibly taken for election duties, I don't remember the year but it has happened some years ago. This requisition of private cars did happen at one point of time, but I have not seen these things happen in and around Calcutta for long now, certainly not after owners have applied for relief.

Also, vehicles are usually requisitioned along with drivers only. An owner driven car is hardly used if the owner can show adequate proof of not having a driver. Commercial cars are usually taken and from what I know, private cars are hardly needed now.

So, Dear Sir, if you are still paranoid about your car being forcibly taken over, please make an application and state the reasons for not being able to part with your car before the DEC and that should do. However, if you ask me, I will wait till a requisition notice comes to me !!

P.S- I don't know which part of Bengal you reside in but this requisition will not happen if you are in Calcutta or in any major city of West Bengal. The cities or major towns have enough commercial vehicles now to cater to the Election Commission. But in the unfortunate situation, do apply to the DEC for relief.

[Sommos]

Originally Posted by saket77

Would be an eye opener to learn if someone here got their vehicle taken away for elections and how and when it were returned. And in what condition.

The vehicle is misused in all possible way and if the vehicle stops for some reason, it will be left as-it-is on the roadside. They will only fill fuel through coupon issued to them and use the car.

If anyone is really unlucky, then the best possible way is to provide your trusted driver at your own expense, so that at least the vehicle is taken care.

[vnabhi]

I'm shocked that such things are happening now---it was common for the Dist Collector to requistion jeeps and large vehicles in the 1980s, especially from government departments and PSUs during elections.

On one occasion, the MD of Vizag Steel, where I used to work, refused to provide vehicles, stating genuine reasons of impacting project deadlines. But the Dist.Collector issued a notice to him stating any vehicle of VSP seen on public roads will be seized under People's Representation Act. Thereafter he had to relent and provide a dozen jeeps with company drivers for 3 full days. Those were driven to far flung booths and used round the clock.

On return, the driver's claimed overtime for the extra hours worked. The bill was sent to the state government, and was not settled for the 2 decades that I worked there!

But what is shocking is that even private vehicles are being requistioned, per the OP!

[deathwalkr]

Wondering why no one has filed a PIL in the higher courts trying to get this archaic procedure stopped.

Has no business in today's world.

[BlackPearl]

Mod Note: Please refrain from turning this thread into a political discussion.

Any further off topic discussion will be deleted.

[hothatchaway]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

It is difficult for people here in the north or western parts of India to imagine that such kind of things still happen in India. Our election ‘harassment’ is usually limited to being bombarded with ads on radio and social media, roads and intersections being defaced with banners and road closures whenever senior netajis are to arrive for rallies. Bengal is perhaps the only part of India that has actually regressed over time. Sad, for it was the richest and most progressive part of India at the time of independence.

Goes to show that it is ultimately the public who is responsible for the people they elect into power and the policies they then promulgate.

Requisitioning vehicles for election duty comes under a central act (section 160 of Representation of the people Act of 1951) it is not some khap diktat which runs uniquely in the state of West Bengal and can be invoked anywhere in India if the election machinery has a paucity of vehicles to run polling operations. Currently, it is the upcoming Lok Sabha elections which is prompting this, which as we all know, take place at the national level. Don't think the state administration will display any special initiative in this. These orders, as I understand, come from the EC.

The issue, as I understand in Bengal, that too in mofussil areas, is insufficient availability of commercial vehicle which are usually the ones set aside for election duty. As fellow member Abhi has already pointed out, having grown up in Kolkata, we have never had our car being taken away forcibly, nor do we know of anybody who had to give their car away against their will and volition.

For those who are still panicking from what they read on social media, there is also this 2009 Calcutta HC ruling which forbids privately owned vehicles from being signed up for election duty

Last month, Lalbazar had asked all 48 police stations in the city to lay off private vehicles during the requisition drive to avoid violating the 2009 Calcutta High Court ruling in the Sachin Haldar SUV case.

The court had ordered a day’s “civil imprisonment” of the then Canning sub-divisional officer for requisitioning Haldar’s Tata Safari against his wishes and return of the vehicle to its owner.

https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-...ar/cid/1276172

As Charles Dickens had once famously said "the law is an arse", it is upto us to be well informed about our rights. Such harebrained laws are everywhere, including the legendary odd/even rule in NCR

[narayans80]

I've heard this first from HVK some 15-16 years back when his Scorpio was pulled up in MP, there is a brief post here (Pune - Indore - Gwalior - Kanpur - Allahabad - Varanasi - Hazaribagh - Ranchi : Route Queries). If I remember correctly, it is Scorpio, Safari, Fortuner that are targets from another conversation.

Bit surprised it still happens. And that the likes of Ertiga or Carens are potential targets

[Vinod_nair]

I think all this was undone during and after the tenure of erstwhile Mr. TN Sheshan, except maybe in some rogue states, where these old practices are still followed.

PS: A trick if it works, put stickers on both windscreens "ON ELECTION DUTY", just like during COVID times, these stickers were abundantly used with disdain.

[_nilaygandhi]

This is happens even in Delhi, although never heard of it happening with a private vehicle. We have a couple of yellow plate tourist permit Maruti eecos and every time when elections are around transport department actively targets Eeco vans in Delhi for election duty. They do pay us something like 1500 INR per day but IMHO it is not worth it. The loss of business that occurs to us is much more than that not only in monetary sense but the prior bookings and commitments go for a toss. And no we are not given any choice.

Only option remains is to avoid the route where the RTO people are targeting the vehicles, it is only possible if we get a heads-up from one of the known guys who has already been caught. And the other thing is no driver is ready to go for this duty because most of the time they want the car for very odd timing shift, so we even need to pay extra to the driver apart from his salary to make him ready for this duty.

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by sbanerjee

The purpose of this post is, I want to know how this works out in other states? Also what options we have on our side to refuse, and not hand over our new SUVs for the dance of democracy.

I stay pretty close to W.B. border and keep going that side. I was stopped once, the legislative assembly election was scheduled.

Some magistrate / SDO stopped my SUV and wanted to seize it for election duty.

I said to him, very humbly - Sir, I may appear like a driver, but I am not, I am driving my own white plate SUV with my own family. My SUV is black in color (usually, taxis are not in black), so please excuse me and I will not come to W.B. till elections are over.

Even this time, I am supposed to go to W.B. for a wedding, will take my car this time, instead of my SUV, will not take a chance.

Something funny, yet relevant happened few years back. I was stopped for checks (mostly cash) and on not finding anything, they noted my SUV details and asked me to drop 2 police personnel at the local P.S. I requested them to hop in. On reaching there, I was informed that my SUV is seized. I was lucky that I was in my native jurisdiction, so one phone call later, I was released.

In Bihar, they mostly seize Bolero / Scorpio, no other SUV's.