Insight Bureau:  As the cases of Covid-19 is likely to get stabilised in the ongoing third wave, the State Election Commission (SEC) of Odisha has relaxed the restrictions imposed on campaign and public meetings by candidates for Panchayat Elections 2022 going to be held in five phases from February 16 to 24.

The number of persons allowed for the door-to-door campaign has been increased to 20 including the candidate and outdoor meetings have been allowed with a cap of 300 persons in open ground subject to strict observance of Covid-19 restrictions such as wearing of masks and maintaining social distance, informed the SEC Aditya Prasad Padhi on Monday.

The relaxations will come into effect from today.

Earlier, all candidates contesting the panchayat polls in Odisha had been allowed door-to-door campaigns with not more than five persons.