As many as 19 polling officials, including four Presiding Officers, were suspended from their job by the Sundargarh Collector cum District Election Officer on Tuesday for skipping election duty during the first phase of the PRI election held on February 13.
Sources said these officials had been deployed to conduct election as presiding and polling officers but they did not turn up for duty. As per the report of Sundargarh Sub Collector, the 19 polling officials, including four presiding officers, were suspended from their job on Tuesday by the Sundargarh Collector Bhupinder Singh Punia. The presiding officers suspended are from Nuagaon block (2), Kutra block (1) and Subdega block (1). Similarly five first Polling Officers suspended are from Nuagaon (3) and Kutra (1) and Subdega (1). Similarly 10 second Polling Officers suspended from their job are from Nuagaon block (5), from lathikata (3) and Kutra block (2). The suspension orders of these 19 officials for recommendation have been sent to the State Election Commission (SEC).
“These officials have been suspended from their job by the Collector for disobedience of order,” said District Panchayat Officer, Sundargarh, G Singh.