Special Secretary, Food Civil and Supplies Department, Chhattisgarh has also been removed from the present post, the sources said…reports Asian Lite News
The Election Commission on Wednesday ordered the transfer of nine District Magistrates, 25 senior police officials including Commissioners of Police, SPs, additional SPs and four Secretaries and Special Secretaries across five poll-bound states due to “unsatisfactory performance”, sources said.
The poll panel’s action came two days after the election schedule was announced in five states – Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Mizoram and Rajasthan.
The sources said the poll panel has given directions for immediate handover of charge of officers transferred to immediate juniors and directed respective states to send the panel by 5 pm on October 12.
They said there would be zero-tolerance for any kind of “partisan behaviour” by officials.
“The Commission during the review meetings found that the performance of some officers was unsatisfactory and were found complacent, if not complicit. The Commission has ordered the transfer of nine DEOs or DMs and 25 Commissioner of Police, SPs, Additional SPs in these five polls going states,” a source said.
Those whose transfer has been ordered include three Commissioners of Police in Telangana – Warangal, Hyderabad and Nizamabad.
The sources said the Election Commission ordered transfer of non-cadre SPs in Telangana and Secretary Transport, Director Prohibition and Excise and Commissioner of Commercial Tax have been transferred from their present posts.
They said SPs of Hanumangarh, Churu, Bhiwadi have been transferred in Rajasthan
Special Secretary, Food Civil and Supplies Department, Chhattisgarh has also been removed from the present post, the sources said.
They said the poll panel, during the exhaustive reviews in the five poll going states, had clearly directed all the enforcement agencies and district administration for an increased vigil and no tolerance towards the distribution of inducements during the electoral process.
CEC Rajiv Kumar had said during the press interactions that the Commission has called for steps against the movement and distribution of liquor, cash, drugs and freebies.
“These four are our top priority for free fair and inducement-free elections,” Rajiv Kumar had said during the press conferences held in these states.
Intense review of sensitive routes and zones for the transport of these illicit items was done by the Commission and enforcement agencies were directed to function in a coordinated manner with joint operations.
The Commission gave clear directions for strict vigil on inter-state border check posts to dry up the inflow of cash, liquor, freebies and drugs and keep strict vigil over 940 border check posts in these five states.
Those ordered to be transferred include DMs, who also function as District
Election Officers in RangaReddy, Medchal Malkajgiri, Yadadri Bhuvangiri and Nirmal in Telangana; DEOs of Ratlam and Khargone in Madhya Pradesh and DEO of Alwar in Rajasthan.
ALSO READ-India Launches Operation Ajay for Safe Return of Citizens from Israel
