The Hindu : EC orders transfer of Bilaspur Collector

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 20, 2003

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EC orders transfer of Bilaspur Collector

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI. NOV. 19. The Election Commission today ordered the transfer of R.P. Mandal, Collector of Bilaspur district in Chhattisgarh, for failing to enforce effectively the model code of conduct. The order was communicated to the Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary, a spokesperson for the Election Commission said. Mr. Mandal is the fourth senior district official whose transfer the Commission has ordered.

Mr. Mandal, spent a year as Deputy Secretary in the Chief Minister's office before being posted to Bilaspur district in which Mr. Jogi's constituency falls. Earlier, the Election Commission had ordered the transfer of the Superintendent of Police of Bilaspur, who has now been put in charge of the Chief Minister's security.

The Commission did not have an easy job of having two earlier orders for the transfer of the District Collectors of Jashpur and Bastar implemented. The orders, given on October 29, were challenged before the Central Administrative Tribunal, which stayed the transfers. The Commission approached the Bilaspur High Court to have the stay vacated. However, it was only after the Commission sought the Governor's intervention on November 17 that its order was finally put through. Both Collectors were removed from their posts today.

The EC spokesman said that regarding Jashpur, the Commission had selected Sailesh Kumar Pathak from the list of names provided by the State Government as the new Collector.

In the case of Bastar, it had asked the Government for a new list of names, as it was unable to find a suitable candidate from the first list.

Collector, IG shifted in M.P.

PTI reports from Bhopal:

Complying with the Election Commission's directive, the Madhya Pradesh Government has shifted the Inspector-General of Police of Rewa Range and the Badwani Collector for alleged "failure" to implement the Model Code of Conduct.

Official sources said that soon after the Commission's directive was received the transfer orders were issued.

Rajendra Kumar, Inspector-General of the State Crime Records Bureau has been posted as IG Rewa Range.

However, as far as the replacement of the Badwani Collector, Jabbar Dhakwala, was concerned, the State Government was yet to post his successor.

According to the sources, the State Government is believed to have sent a panel of names to the Commission for approval and orders for the posting will be issued after its nod.

The directive for the transfers came following complaints against the two officials in the run-up to the Assembly elections.

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