The Hindu : CEO to take up transfers issue with poll panel

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 22, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

CEO to take up transfers issue with poll panel

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, FEB. 21. The Chief Electoral Officer will write to the Election Commission on Monday or Tuesday, seeking relaxation of its orders stipulating compulsory transfer of officials for free and fair elections. The relaxation is being sought to exempt Mandal Revenue Officers and Sub-Inspectors from the order in view of the possible disturbance to the administration.

Transfer of officials as per the Election Commission order has become a matter of concern to the Government.

The Chief Commissioner for Land Administration and the Director-General of Police have addressed separate letters to the CEO, contending that the mass transfer of these two cadres will harm the election process. They held that these two cadres might be shifted only in case of absolute necessity.

If the order of the Commission is to be implemented in toto it will affect at least 70 per cent of MROs and 80 per cent of SIs as most of officers belonging to these categories work in their native districts or must have completed four years of service in a district.

It is held that MROs and SIs know the local situation better than any other cadre, and are thorough with the topography of the area which is a must for identifying the vulnerability of polling stations and safe routes through which polling material such as electronic voting machines (EVMs) will have to be taken and brought back to the headquarters after polling.

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Andhra Pradesh