Election Commission seeks report from Bengal govt on transfers

Kolkata, Feb 28 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought reports from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEI), West Bengal as well as from the state government on whether the statutory transfer of bureaucrats and police officers before the Lok Sabha elections had been done true to the spirit of fresh transfer norms as set by the commission.

Sources said that the commission has sought the reports following instances of discrepancies. Although bureaucrats and police officers having completed three years in particular chair have been transferred as per the statutory norms, the commission’s other directive of not transferring them within the jurisdiction of the same Lok Sabha constituency or in the adjacent district has not been followed in some cases.

On February 24 after noticing such deviations from the laid down transfer procedures, the office of the CEO, West Bengal alerted the state administration to rectify such deviations before the commission asks for the same.

However, finally the commission had taken note of such deviation and sought reports both from the office of CEO, West Bengal and the state government.

Political observers feel that from the subsequent actions of the commission including the latest one on seeking of transfer reports, it is clear that West Bengal is under its special scanner for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls this year.

Already the commission has allotted 920 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces for West Bengal which is the highest among all Indian states. Out of those 920 companies, 50 companies are expected to arrive in the state in the first week of March, which is unprecedented that the central forces are deployed even before the election dates are announced.

A full team of the ECI is scheduled to visit West Bengal in the first week of March to take stock of poll preparations. During their visit, the commission's representatives are scheduled to hold meetings with the top bureaucrats and police officers of the state,