Thiruvananthapuram: The State Election Commissioner informed that the newly elected members to the local bodies in the state should take oath and assume office on December 21.
The election of chairpersons to municipalities and corporations will be held on December 28 at 11 am and vice chairpersons at 2 pm on the same day. The presidents of three-tier panchayats will be elected on December 30 at 11 am and vice presidents at 2 pm on the same day.
The election of presidents and vice presidents of three-tier panchayats will be conducted by the election returning officers. The chairpersons and vice chairpersons of corporations will be elected under the supervision of district collectors and those of municipalities will be elected under the supervision of returning officers appointed by the commission.
The Election Commission has also issued guidelines regarding the oath taking of the newly elected members. The returning officers of the respective institutions are responsible for administering the oath to the first member of the three-tier panchayats.
In municipal councils, the returning officer appointed by the Election Commission is responsible for this duty. District collectors will serve this duty in the corporations.
The oldest member among the elected members in each local self-government should take oath before the returning officer and later this member will administer oath to other members.
All elected members will receive written notification to take oath. The oath taking ceremony will commence by 10 in the morning at three-tier panchayats and municipal councils and at 11.30 am in corporations.
The events will be organised by panchayat deputy director at gram panchayats, assistant development commissioner in block panchayats, secretary at municipalities and corporations and district collector at district panchayat.
District collector will be coordinating all the ceremonies. Soon after the oath taking, the first meeting of all members will be held under the chairmanship of the member who took oath first.
The district polling officers are directed to monitor and ensure the activities related to oath taking are held as per schedule and to submit a report of the same.