EC asks states to ensure officers not transferred within same parliamentary seat

EC asks states to ensure officers not transferred within same parliamentary seat

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission (EC) on Saturday said it has asked the state governments to ensure that officers who are transferred out of the district after completing three years are not posted in another district within the same parliamentary constituency.

The poll panel said it has strengthened its existing transfer policy to ensure that officials are not able to disturb the “level playing field” in the elections after taking serious note of the cases wherein officers are being transferred/posted in the adjacent districts within the same parliamentary constituency by the state governments.

Plugging the loopholes in the existing instructions, the Commission said, “It has directed that except for the States and Union Territories that comprise up to two parliamentary constituencies, all states shall ensure that officers who are transferred out of the district are not posted within the same parliamentary constituency.”

“It has been reiterated that the transfer policy of the Commission must be adhered to in both letter and spirit and not just being camouflaged to show compliance. This rule applies retrospectively to transfers and postings that have already been implemented in accordance with the Commission’s prior instructions,” the poll panel said in a communique.

As per the Commission’s policy, all the officers who were either posted in their home district or have completed three years at a place have been directed to be transferred. This includes officers who are in any way connected to the election work either directly or in supervisory capacity, it said.

There has been a “zero tolerance” policy of the Commission against disturbing the level playing field in the elections, it added.