Bhubaneswar, Mar 17 (PTI) The district administrations were asked by the Odisha government to pause the weekly public grievance hearings till the elections are complete.

In a letter to the collectors and district magistrates, Chief Secretary PK Jena said the direction was given as the model code of conduct (MCC) has come into force with the announcement of elections.

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Odisha will vote for its 147-member assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats, simultaneously, in four phases. The polling will be held on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1.

"It is, therefore, directed that the joint hearing of public grievances by the Collector & DMs along with the SPs of the districts have been adjourned till the end of the election process. This is to be treated as extremely urgent," Jena said in the letter sent on Saturday.

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The grievance cell at the Chief Minister's Office has also been closed for the same reason, an official statement said.

Meanwhile, the civic bodies have started removing hoardings and banners put up by different political parties.

Hoardings put up by the government with photos of PM Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik are also being removed, officials said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)