Printing of ballot papers for the postal voting of the upcoming Local Government election is held off as required funds are yet to be received, the Department of Government Printing says.

Government Printer Gangani Kalpana Liyanage said the department intends to inform this in writing to the election body today (March 16).

The postal voting ballot papers can be printed within six days after receiving the funds, and the remaining printing work pertaining to the election can be completed within a month, the Government Printer said further, adding that this too would be officially informed to the election body today.

Previously, the Printing Department had requested the Treasury to release the funds required to print ballot papers for the Local Government election. However, the department has not received a response from the Treasury yet, the Government Printer said.

The election body, too, made a written request from the Treasury, calling for the release of funds allocated for the elections. In reference to this, the Printing Department, on Tuesday, reiterated its request to Treasury seeking funds to print ballot papers for the Local Government election.

The Printing Department says a minimum of Rs. 200 million is needed to commence the printing work of the Local Government election.

The Local Government Election, initially scheduled to be held on March 09, has been rescheduled for April 25, due to “unexpected and unavoidable reasons”. This was announced in special gazette notifications issued by the Returning Officers last week.

Meanwhile, the postal voting of the election is expected to be held from March 28-31.