Assembly Election: The Election Commission on Wednesday ordered transfer of several top police and administrative officials in five election-bound states over laxity in work. These include 25 Police Commissioners and Superintendents of Police, nine District Magistrates (DMs) and four Secretaries and Special Secretaries. Sources gave this information. According to sources, during a review, the commission found that the performance of some officers was “unsatisfactory” and their approach was not serious in various matters like illegal supply of liquor to induce votes. The Commission has asked the transferred officers to immediately hand over their charge to the junior officers concerned. The Commission has also ordered the concerned state governments to send by Thursday evening a list of officers who can be appointed in place of the transferred officers.
Assembly elections are to be held in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram between November 7 and 30 and the counting of votes will take place on December 3. During its review meetings in these five states, the Commission had directed the enforcement agencies and district administrations to increase surveillance and have zero tolerance for distribution of inducements during the electoral process. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had said in a press conference during the announcement of elections, the Commission has directed that the movement and distribution of liquor, cash, narcotics and free items should be stopped. These are our four top priorities for free, fair and inducement-free elections.
Quoting information received from the Commission, sources said that illegal liquor from Haryana and Punjab enters Rajasthan through Hanumangarh, Churu, Jhunjhunu and Alwar districts so that it can be supplied to the interior districts of the state. Along with this, liquor also comes from Gujarat. After assessing the performance of officers in these sensitive districts, the Commission has ordered the transfer of Superintendents of Police (SP) and Alwar District Election Officer (DEO) of Hanumangarh, Churu and Bhiwadi in Rajasthan. Similarly, during the review meeting in Telangana, the Commission said that many non-cadre officers have been posted as district in-charges, while officers from administrative and police services have been given non-critical postings.
Order for transfers of SP and Police Commissioner
The Commission has now ordered transfers of 13 SPs and Police Commissioner of the state. Of the 13 police officers transferred to Telangana, nine are non-cadre police officers. Police commissioners of Hyderabad, Warangal and Nizamabad have been transferred. After assessing the performance and relevant information, the DEOs of Rangareddy, Medchal Malkajgiri, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, Nirmal districts in Telangana have also been transferred. Sources said that large-scale complaints of misuse of money power were received during the recently held by-election on Munugode assembly seat in Telangana. The Commission also ordered the removal of Transport Secretary, Prohibition and Excise Director and Commercial Tax Commissioner in Telangana. Also directed the Telangana government to appoint a separate Principal Secretary for the Excise and Commercial Tax Department in view of the increased work during the elections. Has gone. Earlier, the Chief Secretary of Telangana was holding the additional charge of the department.
Border Security Force and Assam Rifles have been instructed to keep strict vigil on the international borders in Mizoram and Rajasthan. Sources said that four border districts of Rajasthan – Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bikaner and Sriganganagar – are in the grip of drug trafficking. The Commission is keen to conduct ‘inducement-free’ elections and more than Rs 1,400 crore was seized in the last six assembly elections – Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Karnataka.
