LAHORE, Sept 24: The 13 returning officers (ROs) in the provincial capital have demanded an increase in election budget of Rs6,500 for an RO, declaring it as insufficient to meet the administrative and field expenses.

The ROs had made the demand at a meeting held with the District Returning officer (DRO) earlier this week, it was learnt on Tuesday.

Sources said Rs4,000 had been allocated to every RO for travelling within his constituency to inspect polling stations while a sum of Rs1,000 was sanctioned for stationery expenses. A further sum of Rs1,500 had been provided to meet any contingency. This budget of Rs6,500 also covered the expenses to be incurred by the ROs till one week after the polls.

An RO requesting anonymity disclosed that they had pointed out to the DRO that the maximum limit of Rs4,000 travelling expenses had already been crossed by most of the ROs while undertaking visits to their respective constituencies for the preparation of polling schemes.

It was learnt that the ROs had demanded further enhancement of Rs6,000 in their travelling allowance to cover these expenses.

The ROs had also expressed reservations about the Rs1,000 limit for stationery expenses, saying the sanctioned amount did not cover the expenses. They had disclosed during the meeting that the polling staff of at least 10 people had been deputed for every polling station and a photo copy of an appointment letter had to be delivered to each of the appointed personnel.

Moreover, as claimed by the ROs, they were bound to get four copies of electoral lists of registered voters within their respective constituencies. Two sets of copies would be dispatched to the provincial election commission while one was to be deposited with the office of the DRO.

Four photo copies of appointment letters of the polling staff would also be prepared in the same manner. Based on these arguments, ROs had also demanded an increase in the stationery budget.

Another RO said the newly-appointed polling personnel were being asked by the court staff of every RO to bear themselves expenses on photo copies of their appointment letters. He said such shortage might force the court staff of every RO to indulge in corruption since the staff would not be compensated for the extra work done.

When contacted, officials at the DRO office disclosed that the demand for the increase in the election budget of every RO would soon be forwarded to the authorities concerned. They said details in this regard were being finalized.