Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 17: The Election Commission of India has asked Chief Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey to shift by February 15 all Government officers and officials in civil and police administration, who have been posted in their home towns and those who have been overstaying on their posts (a tenure of three or above years).
Official sources told the Excelsior that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) VS Sampath has written a letter to the Chief Secretary asking him to ensure compliance of the order by February 15 positively.
The official communiqué of Mr Sampath addressed to Mr Khandey called for shifting of all civil and police officers from top to bottom, who were directly or indirectly concerned with election duties or exercise to conduct the elections, from their home towns.
“There should be no officer, who had to be connected with the election duty, posted in his home town,’’ the communiqué said.
It also called for shifting of the officers concerned with any kind of election duty from their posts if they had completed their tenure of three years at one place.
“All such officers should be transferred by or before February 15,’’ the communiqué said.
Sources said the Government would be complying with the Election Commission’s notification in the next few days. The officers and officials covered by the Election Commission’s order included Deputy Commissioners, Tehsildars, Sub Divisional Magistrates, Naib Tehsildars, Patwaris etc and all police officers apart from all other officers even remotely connected with the election duty.
They added that the Chief Secretary has directed the authorities to identify the officers posted in their home towns and those who have completed stay of three years or more at a particular place for their transfers and postings.
“The Government would abide by the order of the Election Commission of the India,’’ sources said, adding all those officers, who fall in the ambit of the ECI direction, would be shifted within the deadline i.e. February 15.
Worthwhile to mention here that the Election Commission of India was likely to impose Model Code of Conduct for Lok Sabha elections either by the end of February or start of March and it was in this context that it wants to ensure the officers serving in home towns or overstaying at one place out of the election duty from those particular places. Sources said the State Government after effecting the transfer of overstaying officers as well as those posted in home towns would submit their list to the Election Commission of India through the Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu and Kashmir. It would also give the list to the Election Commission of the officers posted in their place, they added.
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