Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expressed concern in writing to the Election Commission regarding its orders about posting of certain officials in certain districts on Thursday.
Giving reference of the ECI's letter dated April 2, 2014 wherein the State Government was directed to compulsorily post certain officers in certain districts, Chouhan said, “While I have given orders to comply with the directives given by the Commission, I write this to express my profound concern at the manner in which these transfers have been effected.”
In the past whenever ECI desired the transfer of a particular officer, it used to seek a panel of names from the State Government, and then select a name from the panel.In the instant
case, there has been, an unprecedented departure from this time-honoured convention, all the District Collectors affected by the order in question have carried out the same responsibility successfully in the just concluded elections for the legislative Assembly and have earned appreciation for one reason or another from the ECI itself, he added.
The Chief Minister further said, “I am annexing certificates given by the HCI to these officials, and now, they are being removed without giving them an opportunity of being heard, and without assigning any reason. In fact, I understand, in some cases the action taken by the HCI is at odds with the results of the enquiries.”
One Sub-Divisional Magistrate has been transferred from Ashok Nagar to Jabalpur in the order
under reference.
Since the officer concerned is deemed good to hold the same kind of assignment in another district, it is inexplicable as to why she is considered incapable of holding the same charge in her present position, Chouhan said, adding, “All of these officers are of impeccable public commitment and integrity. These sudden transfers on the eve of polling could lead to demoralisation of poll-bound machinery, a thing which, I believe,
ECl would neither prefer nor desire.”