Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 19: Throwing Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines to winds for ulterior motives, the Revenue Department has transferred 59 officers associated with the Summary Revision of the Electoral Rolls. With this unjustifiable step, the department has also scuttled the inquiries into many land grabbing incidents as several of these officers were conducting probes into the land scams besides making mockery of the State Government’s Transfer Policy. Unlike other transfers and postings, this order was intentionally not given due publicity to ensure that the blue-eyed officers join at their new places of postings discreetly.
The Revenue Department vide Order No.Rev/Gaz/157 of 2014 dated January 10, 2014, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR, ordered transfers and postings of 59 officers, mostly Tehsildars despite being aware of the fact that Tehsildars being Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) cannot be transferred before the conclusion of ongoing Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls, the last date of which is January 31, 2014.
Unlike other transfers and postings, this order was intentionally not given due publicity so that blue-eyed officers among the list of 59 join at their new (choicest) place of posting discreetly, official sources told EXCELSIOR, adding “this can be gauged from the fact that majority of the senior officers, who are directly associated with the Tehsildars, came to know about the transfer order only when the transferred Tehsildars approached them for being relieved from their present positions”.
While many of these 59 officers joined at their new place of postings, several others failed to do so as some Deputy Commissioners refused to entertain the order on the ground that the same was in blatant violation of the Election Commission of India guidelines, which clearly state that whosoever is associated with the Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls shall not be transferred till the completion of this vital exercise or approval of ECI is taken in case of compelling circumstances, sources informed.
“This blatant violation of Election Commission guidelines also came to the notice of Deputy Election Commissioner, Vinod Zutshi, who was in Jammu on January 16-17 to review the arrangements being made for the forthcoming Parliament elections”, sources said, adding “though Mr Zutshi, while taking serious note of the Revenue Department order, has asked the Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey to see that the order is not implemented yet the order has already been implemented albeit not fully”.
Pointing towards the Election Commission of India’s communiqué to Chief Secretary regarding shifting of officers posted in home towns by February 15, sources said, “the Revenue Department order is also in violation of this direction as several of the officers have been transferred to their home towns”, adding “this indicates that the Revenue Department was either not aware of this standing instruction of Election Commission or was least bothered to follow the same”.
“The transfer order will also scuttle the ongoing inquiries into several land grabbing incidents as many of the transferred officers were conducting probes one way or the other”, sources said.
Such land grabbing incidents include that of Bajalta and Gharota, which were brought to the fore exclusively by EXCELSIOR. These land grabbing incidents were required to be taken to the logical conclusion at the earliest because of the huge chunk of Government land worth several crores of rupees involved in the same.
By transferring the officers associated with the inquiries into land grabbing incidents the Government has conveyed that it doesn’t want to take the probes to the logical conclusion.
It is pertinent to mention here that in Bajalta area the land mafia has made two major attempts to grab and damage 487 kanals State land under Khasra No.219 of village Pargalta. Similarly, in village Ghaink of Gharota Niabat the land mafia made attempt to encroach upon 51 kanals of land. The preliminary inquiry into Bajalta case has already pointed out involvement of subordinate revenue officials and certain private persons.
The Revenue Department order has further violated the State Government’s Transfer Policy which fixes minimum two years tenure for the officers at a particular post. “What were the compelling circumstances for the Revenue Department to transfer several officers prematurely”? sources asked, adding “since this order has violated various norms the Government owes an explanation to the general public”.
Follow our WhatsApp channel