Nine block development officers serving in Palamu are set to be shunted out for their being in this district for three years and above.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) wants all such officers related to poll and who have their stint in a district for three years and above to be replaced. A total of nine BDOs in Palamu district fall under this ambit. The DC Palamu Manoj Kumar has confirmed that nine BDOs would be exiting from here once order comes from the State Government.
Asked that old hands (read BDOs) would move out and the new ones who would be replacing these nine would take their time to get acquainted with the block, its topography, the challenges, risks in times of poll to which the DC said ‘Nothing doing. They are to go so they will go. The newer ones will have to mug hard as there is not much time left for polls’
To a query if the administration has asked these BDOs on the verge of their transfer to prepare a comprehensive note on their respective blocks for the benefit to the new incumbent taking over their places at this time of the hustings, Manoj Kumar said such an order has been given to all the BDOs here to prepare a note on their respective blocks like number of polling booths, locations, dangers and challenges, road maps, cluster points etc.
Palamu is one such district where connectivity of even BSNl is poor. There are places where cell phone connectivity is selective. For example, if there is Vodafone here then after four miles it is Airtel and again after four miles there is no connectivity at all. The DC informed that officials have been asked to make a connectivity note too where the booths are to be set up. This kind of situation one meets on NH 75 too which connects Palamu to Ranchi.