*Revenue Deptt ignored vital aspect during postings
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 22: In order to ensure that creation and operationalization of new administrative units don’t hamper the continuous up-dation of the electoral rolls, the Election Commission of India has directed all the 22 District Election Officers (Deputy Commissioners) of Jammu and Kashmir to propose the alternate officers, who could be notified/designated as Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) and Assistant Returning Officers keeping in view the forthcoming Assembly elections in the State.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that following the creation of new administrative units and subsequent transfer of officers and officials including those who were designated as Assistant Electoral Registration Officers and Assistant Returning Officers, the Election Commission of India conveyed apprehension over this exercise hampering the summary revision of the electoral rolls to the State Government.
“The apprehension was justified as no serious thought was paid by the Revenue Department to this aspect, which otherwise is very crucial in view of forthcoming Assembly elections in the State, while ordering transfers and postings of officers in the new administrative units”, they said.
Following this apprehension by the Election Commission of India, the Revenue Department vide Order No. Rev (S) 206 dated August 14, 2014 modified the earlier orders and stated that 29 Tehsildars, who have been notified/designated by Election Commission of India as AEROs prior to their transfers to new posts in the newly created administrative units, would continue to function as such for the purposes of electoral registration till the completion of summary revision of the electoral rolls. The modification order was issued with the concurrence of Chief Electoral Officer, J&K.
“However, the Election Commission still wants more exercise to be conducted in order to ensure that continuous up-dation of the electoral rolls is carried out even beyond the final publication of the rolls on October 1, 2014 keeping in view the forthcoming Assembly elections”, sources said, adding “the ECI wants to ensure that posting of officers in new administrative units doesn’t create any hurdle in continuous up-dation of the electoral rolls”.
On the directions of the Election Commission of India, the Chief Electoral Officer of J&K has conveyed this to all the 22 District Election Officers (Deputy Commissioners).
“In view of the forthcoming elections to the Legislative Assembly, the continuous up-dation of the electoral roll has to be carried on beyond October 1, 2014 till 10 days before the final date of receiving nominations. As such all the AEROs will have to be in place to ensure the continuous up-dation of the electoral rolls”, reads the communiqué of the Chief Electoral Officer.
In view of these requirements, the CEO has directed all the DEOs to propose the alternate officers, who could be designated as AEROs and also AROs in place of the officers/officials, who have been shifted to the new administrative units. “You should also propose the alternate officers also for any office/post which has been notified as ARO but has been abolished/re-designated as a result of the creation of new administrative units in the State”, said the communiqué.
All the District Election Officers have been directed to send the proposals in this regard to the office of CEO J&K by August 31. However, it has been stressed by the CEO that DEOs must ensure that those officers, who have been directed to function as AEROs and AROs till the completion of special summary revision of the rolls, must perform their duties as enshrined in Section 33 of the J&K Representation of the Peoples Act, 1957.
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