ECI cracks whip: Orders officers' transfers to ensure fair, transparent polls

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has written to the Chief Secretary of the Karnataka, directing him to transfer all government officers who have served three years or over in the same position, to ensure fair and transparent polls this year.    

Karnataka goes to its Legislative Assembly polls in May 2018.  

The ECI has asked the state government to transfer police and other government officers serving in their home districts; or those who complete three years as on May 31 in the same position, to be transferred forthwith.  

The ECI has marked a copy of the same letter to the State Election Commissioner Sanjay Kumar as well, for follow-ups.  

The Central Commission has stated that barring officials who have been given election-related responsibilities, all additional district officers, sub-divisional officers, deputy and assistant commissioners, tahsildars and block development officers who fit the above description,  must be transferred.  

The Central body has also directed the transfer of all police officers from the sub-inspector to the Inspector General (IGP) level who have the powers to make security arrangements for the elections in their districts, if they fit the above description.  

Also, the ECI has clearly ordered that no police or other government official should be transferred to his home district. Neither must an official who has served in a given district in the last election be allowed to continue there.    

The Central Commission has clarified that the those officers who are transferred, must not wait for their replacements to arrive and move once they get their orders.

It is the deputy commissioners' responsibility to ensure that there is no delay in the handover of responsibilities between the outgoing and the incoming officers, the Central poll authority has stated.