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Sunday, Jun 03, 2007
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EC fiat: exemption sought for constables in transfers

Special Correspondent

Shifting personnel en masse would "disturb" the security scheme

MADURAI: The State police have written to the Election Commission seeking exemption for head constables and constables with regard to its directive on transfers, in the Madurai West Assembly constituency.

Ahead of the byelection scheduled for June 26, the EC had directed the State Chief Secretary to shift all police/civil officials who had completed three years of service during the last four years in the constituency.

According to police sources, at least 356 personnel serving in seven police stations in the constituency came under this norm and would have to be transferred out.

Since the election process had begun, shifting of the police `en masse' would "disturb" the security scheme. "We have requested the EC to exempt head constables/constables as they have no decision-making power. Officials in the rank of Sub-Inspector and above have already been shifted," a senior police official told The Hindu on Saturday. There were 150 vacancies in the seven police stations (in the Madurai West Assembly segment) and moving out 350 more might create a vacuum. "We are trying to find replacements from the southern districts. As the academic year has begun, the police personnel will be reluctant to a sudden dislocation. Moreover, the newcomers may not be aware of the topography of the constituency," he said.

The official added that pre-poll training was already under way. Though the constables came under the category of those who had completed three years of service in the constituency, none of them had served for more than two years in any of the seven police stations.

Police sources said the Additional Director General of Police and Commissioner, A. Subramanian, had written to the Chief Electoral Officer, Naresh Gupta, in this regard.

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