The Hindu : Officials serving in `home districts' to be shifted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 14, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Officials serving in `home districts' to be shifted

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, FEB. 13. Orders issued by the Election Commission for transfer of officials to avoid vested interests at play and ensure free and fair election will cover all those associated with the poll work above the rank of mandal revenue officer (MRO) and up to the level of Collectors and SPs.

The Chief Electoral Officer, M. Narayan Rao, who returned here today after attending the Delhi meeting of CEOs, said that all those serving in their home district or having completed four out of the last five years of service in a district will be shifted. The orders would not apply to those in Hyderabad. Transfers would be effective for the election period. The Government could revert them after the elections if it desired. Even top-ranking police officials such as DIGs would come under the purview of the transfers.

The CEO told reporters that the transfers would and should be immediate as limited time was available before the likely issue of election schedule. He said those associated with or drafted for election work were normally from Revenue, Police, Municipal Administration and Panchayat Raj departments and as such these departments were expected to issue the orders immediately.

Answering questions, Mr Rao said simultaneous elections in the State would require 3.5 lakh personnel, 60 per cent of them to be drawn from among teachers. Drawal of teachers would not affect any mass examinations like SSC and Intermediate because these exams would be over by the beginning of April when the elections were expected.

After these examinations, school/college buildings where a majority of polling stations would be located would be available.

The CEO said they had sought 60 battalions of para-military/Central forces in case of a single-day polling and 30 battalions for a two-phase and 20 battalions for a three-phase exercise. He said the State might see two-phase polling.

The CEO clarified that the State Government had sought the Central forces "much ahead of the announcement of the election schedule in the light of the situation here marked by naxalite-related incidents. Candidates required reasonable level of security to move about and carry on the canvassing.

Asked if the naxalite issue figured during the Delhi discussions, he said the Commission was well aware of the boycott call given by them and attempts to prevent electioneering. The Commission told them it would adopt a common approach to handle this problem, covering not only Andhra Pradesh but also Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra which also faced the same problem.

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