Chandigarh December 12; The Election Commission of India has directed the Chief Electoral Officer Punjab to ensure that the officers likely to be put on election duties should not serve in their home districts and those who have completed three years in that district during the last four years or would be completing three years on or before 31st March 2012 should be transferred immediately.
It was also said that not only District Election Officers, Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers would be covered under these instructions but also other district level officers like Additional District Magistrates, Deputy Collectors, Sub-Divisional Magistrates, Tehsildars, Block Development Officers or any other officer proposed to be used for Election work. As for officers in the Police Department are concerned , these instructions would be applicable to the Range IGs, DIGs, Commandants of State Armed Police, SSPs, SPs, Additional SPs, Sub-Divisional Heads of Police, Inspectors, Sub-Inspectors, Sergeant Majors or equivalent rank who are likely to be put on Election duties.
The ECI also desired that the officers/ officials against whom Commission has recommended disciplinary action or who have been charged for any lapses in any election related work shall not be assigned any election related duty. The Commission further desires that no officer / official, against whom a criminal case is pending in any Court of Law, be associated with the election work or election related duty. While implementing the directions of the ECI, the Chief Electoral Officer of the State shall invariably be consulted while posting the new persons in place of the present incumbents, who stand transferred as per the policy of the Commission.
Any officer who is due to retire within coming six months would be exempted from the purview of the above mentioned directions of the Commission. Such officers would not be engaged in election duties during the forthcoming elections to the state assembly. Similarly the officers who are on extension of service or re-employed in different capacities would not be associated with any election related work except those with the office of the CEOs.
