About 50% complaints dropped by ECI for being ‘frivolous’
Lists of SBM beneficiaries, some transfers also stayed
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 2: Nearly three dozen Government servants including Block Medical Officer and Chief Agriculture Officer have been taken to task by the concerned authorities of the State for violating Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the ongoing Parliament elections while as about 50% complaints have been dropped by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for being ‘frivolous’.
As per the official data, a total of 65 complaints about violation of Model Code of Conduct in respect of Jammu and Kashmir were received by the Election Commission of India from different quarters ever since the issuance of notification for the Lok Sabha elections.
Majority of these complaints were filed against the Government servants with the allegation that they were either openly campaigning in the elections or influencing the people for casting vote in the favour of a particular candidate or a political party.
In order to ensure free and fair elections, the Election Commission of India through Chief Electoral Officer Jammu and Kashmir took due cognizance of all these complaints and accordingly disposed them of in a time bound manner.
During this exercise, 28 complaints (nearly 50%) were dropped by the Commission after the same were found ‘frivolous’ while as remaining 37 complaints were decided after obtaining information from the relevant quarters through concerned District Election Officers (DEOs).
Though several complaints among 37 were also found not based on the facts yet necessary action was taken in a time bound manner in all those cases where violation of Model Code of Conduct was clearly established by the officers tasked to conduct inquiry, official sources said while disclosing that at present no complaint was pending with the Election Commission of India.
As per the report of the Election Commission of India, Chief Agriculture Officer Anantnag was transferred from the district as during the course of inquiry into the complaint against him it came to the fore that he is the relative of a local politically active person and there was all possibility of his discreetly campaigning for a particular party or candidate.
Similarly, a transfer made by the Zonal Education Officer Gulabagh in district Srinagar was kept in abeyance till completion of elections as the order issued by him was in violation of Model Code of Conduct.
In another complaint, it was decided that list of beneficiaries under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) for Srinagar shall be released only after clearance from the High Level Committee that too after observing all codal formalities and keeping in view the Model Code of Conduct angle.
A Village Level Worker posted in Dhok Thanamandi was transferred from the place of posting and attached in the office of Sub-Divisional Magistrate Thanamandi after it was established that he was violating the Model Code of Conduct.
As per the report, a police constable posted in District Police Lines Budgam was placed under suspension and enquiry under J&K CCA Rules was initiated against him after it came to the fore that he was indulging in MCC violation.
A Personal Assistant of former Deputy Commissioner Kathua was given non-election duty on the basis of a complaint alleging flagrant violation of MCC by the official while as action has been initiated against several officials in Kupwara district for campaigning in favour of a particular party and candidate.
A Personal Security Officer (PSO) of former MLA had to face action under Employees Conduct Rules after it was established during the course of inquiry that he was involved in campaigning for a particular party. Similarly, action under Employees Conduct Rules has been initiated against National Health Mission employee posted at Chadoora Hospital for violating MCC.
A Block Medical Officer posted in Pattan has been attached till further departmental enquiry besides action has been initiated against officials of Labour Department and others after allegations about violation of Model Code of Conduct against them established by the Returning Officer.
In other cases, Village Level Workers in Mandi and Mahore, Warden and Teacher of Gujjar and Bakerwal Hospital Sarore, Naib Tehsildars in Budhal, Gram Rozgar Sevak in Mandi and Booth Level Officer in Drabshalla were taken to task for violating MCC, the report said.
In certain cases strong warning was also issued to the hate mongers as their act was about to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere.
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