EC orders transfer of officials in Bengal serving for over 3 years in same place ahead of polls

Kolkata: The EC has directed the transfer of senior West Bengal government officials and police officers who have been serving in the same post or district for more than three years, a senior official of the poll body said on Wednesday.

According to the directive, the order will apply to officials such as district magistrates, additional district magistrates, block development officers, sub-divisional officers and other district-level administrative authorities, he said.

The instruction also covers senior police officers, including IGs, DIGs, SPs and additional SPs.

"The Election Commission (EC) has decided that officers who have completed over three years in a particular district or post must be transferred to ensure free and fair elections," the senior EC official said.

However, officials posted at the state headquarters will be exempt from the transfer directive, sources added.

The commission has communicated the instructions to the chief secretary for immediate compliance.

The EC also stated that officers who were posted as district magistrates, returning officers or inspectors in a particular district during the last Assembly elections should not be posted in the same district for the upcoming polls.

"This is part of the standard practice adopted by the commission to maintain administrative neutrality during elections," the official added.

Officials of the poll body pointed out that such transfer policies are part of established norms followed before major elections across states.

The measures are aimed at creating a level playing field and strengthening the institutional framework for conducting elections transparently and impartially, he added.