Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 26: Ahead of crucial Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the Election Commission of India has barred the State Government from transferring any Deputy Commissioner of 22 districts, who would serve as District Election Officers (DEOs) during the upcoming polls, scheduled to be held in November-December.
Apart from DEOs, the Election Commission has also directed that no officers/officials, who had to serve as Election Returning Officers (EROs), would be transferred. However, in case where the transfers of the Deputy Commissioners (DEOs) and EROs become absolutely necessary, the Government would have to take prior permission from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Jammu and Kashmir.
Reliable sources told the Excelsior that the Election Commission’s directive has come ahead of the Assembly elections and start of summary revision of electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir. The order means that the Government wouldn’t be able to shift any of 22 DCs and other officers posted as EROs in the State till the Assembly elections are over in December or January.
While the Deputy Commiss-ioners serve as the DEOs, the officers in the rank of Assistant Commissioners, Additional Deputy Commissioners etc are designated as EROs and they play major role in summary revision of electoral rolls.
In the Parliament elections, only six Deputy Commissioners of Jammu, Kathua, Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag and Leh had been designated as Returning Officers for six Lok Sabha seats while rest of the DCs had worked as DEOs. However, in the forthcoming Assembly elections, all Deputy Commissioners would be designated as ROs as they had to issue notification for elections of the Assembly constituencies falling within their districts.
Confirming the Election Commission directive to the State Government not to transfer the DEOs and EROs, in view of summary revision, sources said the Government would have to take permission from the CEO and give reasons if they had to transfer any of them in case of extreme necessity.
“The DEOs and EROs are deemed to be on deputation to the Election Commission once the election process is set in motion for Parliament or Assembly elections. Though Model Code of Conduct for the Assembly elections has not been imposed as yet, the summary revision of electoral rolls has been ordered with effect from June 16,” sources said, adding since the summary revision would be completed on October 1, the Code of Conduct would have been imposed by then”.
The Code of Conduct comes into force with announcement of elections by the Election Commission. The announcement of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir is expected to be made by the middle of September i.e. just a fortnight before the completion of summary revision of electoral rolls on October 1. The Assembly elections are likely to be held in November-December as the new Assembly had to be constituted before January 19.
Sources said the Election Commission’s directive now clearly means that the Government wouldn’t be in a position to effect reshuffle of the Deputy Commissioners before the Assembly elections unless it feels that there was necessity to shift any of the DCs and for that it had to take permission of the CEO by explaining the necessity. Moreover, the Government had to give three names of DCs it proposed to appoint in place of the DC whom it wanted to shift and the CEO had to pick one of them.
“Once the Model Code of Conduct is imposed by the Election Commission of India, the Government can’t effect any transfer or make major announcements,” sources said.
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