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NEW DELHI: The Election Commission (EC) on Friday chided the Maharashtra administration for its failure to fully carry out its July 31 instructions to transfer all poll-related officers who have completed three years in a posting or are posted in their home districts, while ordering immediate compliance.
Sources in the commission told TOI that over 100 inspector-level officers in Mumbai and several revenue officials holding key positions in the state, who fulfil the criteria laid down in EC’s guidelines on mandatory pre-poll transfers, have not been transferred despite the poll panel’s having sought a compliance report from the Maharashtra chief secretary and DGP by August 20, followed by reminders sent on Aug 22, Sept 11 and Sept 25.
The non-compliance, it is suspected, could be a deliberate attempt on part of the state administration to retain officers “friendly to the ruling dispensation”, with the assembly poll process expected to kick in by October second week.
Chief election commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, who is on a visit to Maharashtra along with fellow commissioners Gyanesh Kunar and S S Sandhu, expressed his displeasure over the state administration’s non-compliance, stating that the delay undermines efforts to ensure a free and fair electoral process.
Seeking an explanation from the Maharashtra chief secretary and DGP on why the process of relocate officials eligible for mandatory pre-poll transfers has not been completed, with no response in from the chief secretary yet and only a partial compliance update submitted by the additional DGP on Sept 13, EC on Friday said further inaction in the matter shall not be tolerated.
In a communication sent to Maharashtra chief secretary on Friday, EC reminded the former that it had directed him and the state DGP to submit a compliance report of its instructions on pre-poll transfers, complete with details of action obtained from the concerned departments and offices, by Aug 20.
“Despite the above directions, no report was received from the chief secretary and DGP till the due date. Reminders were issued vide the Commission’s letter of even number on 22.08.2024, 11.09.2024 and 25.09.2024, directing thereby to furnish the reports urgently,” the EC underlined.
The poll panel stated that while the Maharashtra chief electoral officer (CEO) had forwarded a letter from addl DGP dated Sept 13 regarding partial compliance, “no report has been received in the commission from the chief secretary till date”.
Directing that its instructions on transfers be immediately and fully complied with, EC called for an explanation from the chief secretary and DGP as to why the compliance reports were not furnished even after the lapse of stipulated time limit and despite the reminders.
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