Election Commission ordered no home district posting for govt & police officers

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 6, 2022

The Election Commission of India ordered for transfer of officer including police directly connected with Elections posted in their home district and also transfer officer who has completed three years in the same district.

In a letter to the Chief Secretary and the Chief Electoral Officer of Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland, the Commission informed that the term of existing Legislative Assemblies of Meghalaya will end on 15 March, 2023 while Nagaland and Tripura are due on 12.03.2023 22.03.2023 respectively.

The Commission has been following a consistent policy that officers directly connected with conduct of elections in an election going State/UT are not posted in their home districts or places where they have served for considerably long period.

Hence, the Commission has decided that no officer connected directly with elections shall be allowed to continue in the present district (revenue district) of posting:(i) if she/he is posted in her/his home district.

The Commission directed if she/he has completed three years in that district during last four (4) years or would be completing 3 years on or before 31st March, 2023

While calculating the period of three years, promotion to a post within the district is to be counted, the letter pointed.

These instructions shall cover not only officers appointed for specific election duties like DEOs, Dy. DEOs, RO/AROs, EROs/AEROs, officers appointed as nodal officers of any specific election works but also district officers like ADMs, SDMs, Dy. Collector/Joint Collector, Tehsildar, Block Development Officers or any other officer of equal rank directly deployed for election works.

These instructions shall also be applicable to the police department officers such as Range IGs, DIGs, Commandants of State Armed Police, SSPs, SPs, Addl. SPs, Sub-Divisional Head of Police, SHOs, Inspectors, Sub-Inspector, Rls / Sergeant Majors or equivalent ranks, who are responsible for security arrangement or deployment of police forces in the district at election time.

The letter clarified that the police officials who are posted in functional departments like computerization, special branch, training, etc. are not covered under these instructions.

The Police Sub-Inspectors and above should not be posted in their home district. If a Police Sub-Inspector has completed or would be completing a tenure of 3 years out of four years on or before the cutoff date in a police sub-division, then he should be transferred out to a police sub-division which does not fall in the same AC.

If that is not possible due to small size of district, then he/she should be transferred out of the district.

On categories of Officers not covered under transfer policy, the letter informed, officers/officials who are not directly connected with elections like doctors, engineers, teachers/principals etc. However, if there are specific complaints of political bias or prejudice against any such govt. officer, which on enquiry, are found to be substantiated, then CEO/ECI may order not only the transfer of such enquiry.