Issuing detailed guidelines regarding postings and transfers of officers in view of 2014 lok Sabha Election 2014, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has laid down that any officer serving in home districts, or who have completed three-year service in a district would be shifted out.
The guidelines have been issued to all the Chief Secretaries of the States by the ECI, and action taken report has been sought by February 15. Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Raminder Singh said that instructions have been issued that “no officer connected with elections, directly or indirectly, should be allowed to continue the present district of posting if she or he is posted in her or his home district or if she or he has completed three year in that district during last four year or would be completing three year on or before May 31, 2014”.
The State Government has been asked strictly follow the cut-off date and accordingly three year period may be reckoned backward from May 31, 2014.
Singh clarified that these instructions cover not only officer appointed for specific duty like district election officers, deputy election officers, returning officers and assistant returning officers but also other district officers like additional district magistrates, deputy collectors, SDMs , Tehsildars, BDOs or any other officer proposed to be deployed for election work.
Clarifying position regarding officers of police department, he said that these instructions would be applicable to Range IGs, DIGs, Commandants of state armed police, SSPs, SPs, Additional SPs, Sub-Divisional Head of Police, Inspectors or equivalent rank who are responsible of deployment of police force in the district at the election time.
The Commission has also asked the State Government to conduct a detailed review in all districts and all such officers be posted out of home district or out of the district on the aforesaid date immediately.
He said that no officer or official against whom a criminal case is pending in any court of law be associated with election work or election duty.
Taking seriously the issue of individual circumventing directions, the CEO said that Commission has, in past, has received complaints that while the State Government transferred official in above categories in pursuance of
ECI directions, the individuals try to circumvent the objective by proceeding on leave and physically not moving out of district from which they stand transferred.
He said: “The commission has viewed it seriously and desired that all such officials who stands transferred in pursuance of instructions should be asked to move physically out of the district of which they stand transferred immediately on receipt of transfer order.”
Singh said that while implementing these instructions, CEO shall invariably be consulted in posting the new persons in place of present incumbent who stand transferred in pursuance of these instructions. The copies of orders issued under these instructions shall be given to CEO without fail. “Any officer who is due to retire within in coming six month will be exempted from the instructions and they shall not be engaged for performing the election duty,” he said.