MUMBAI: To ensure that the forthcoming elections to the Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament) are conducted in a free and fair atmosphere, the Election Commission of India (ECI) yesterday sounded the election bugle and ordered the Maharashtra government to transfer all officials out to other districts.
He said the officials from the rank of collector to sub-divisional revenue officers and from the rank of special inspector general of police to police sub-inspectors level who had got themselves posted in their home district, should be shunted out immediately without any delay to other districts in the state.
The Election Commission also ordered that all government officials who have been posted at one place for more than three years during the last four years and even those who are to complete three years in one district on May 9 should also immediately transferred out, and compliance report sent to the ECI by Feb. 28.
It also directed that all critical posts from the point of view of conduct of elections be filled up on priority basis by Feb. 20.
Accordingly, work of identifying and collecting data of the numbers of such officials who are posted in their home districts or have completed three years in a particular district, began last evening in post-haste manner in the government secretariat. In the coming few days the state will witness transfers on a massive scale of the police and revenue department officials.
The Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to be held in April-May, and an announcement to this effect is expected any moment. The ECI reiterated to the state government that it was duty bound to hold free and fair elections and thus it was mandatory for the state government to comply with the orders of the ECI.
The ECI also directed the state government to consult the State Chief Electoral Officer while transferring and posting the officials. It also clearly instructed the state government not to deploy officials for election duties, against whom disciplinary proceedings have been initiated or those against whom criminal cases have been registered and those against whom charges of irregularities during any past elections have been made.
