The Election Commission has summoned the secretaries of four ministries—energy, commerce, information and communication, and local development—after agencies under them allegedly “breached” the Election Code of conduct.

Election Commissioner Sudhir Shah told the Post that the poll authority has asked them to appear at the EC on Sunday after agencies under them announced vacancies after the code of conduct came into force on March 1.

According to Shah, Nepal Electricity Authority, Radio Nepal, Budhanilkantha Municipality and Bishal Bazaar Company have sought to hire staff in breach of the code of conduct.

The government has a majority stake in the Bishal Bazaar Company. Meanwhile, an EC team led by Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav visited the Janak Shiksha Samagri Kendra Ltd in Bhaktapur on Saturday to observe the ballot paper printing process. The state-owned entity is preparing to start printing ballot papers from Sunday.