Gujrat : Election Commission transfers more than 900 officers in Gujarat, including six senior IPS
According to media reports, the Election Commission has transferred more than 900 officers of various grades and services in Gujarat. Quoting an official, Hindustan Times has written- An official of the Election Commission said that the order of the Chief Secretary of Gujarat has been received. “As per the ECI guidelines, over 900 officers of different grades and services were transferred,” the official said. On October 21, the Election Commission had sought an explanation from the state chief secretary and the director general of police for failing to file a compliance report on the transfer of officers. The commission has also directed the chief secretary to transfer the remaining 51 officers, including six senior IPS officers, to their respective headquarters and submit a compliance report by 4 pm on Thursday.
The six IPS officers include Harshad Patel, Mukesh Patel, Bhakti Thakar, Premveer Singh and AG Chauhan who are currently posted in Ahmedabad, while another DCP Crime is Rupak Solanki, who is posted in Surat. The commission has asked the Gujarat government to send the compliance report by Thursday. Significantly, the Election Commission has not yet announced the dates for the Gujarat elections. Although the dates are expected to be announced in the coming days. The term of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly will end on 23 February 2023. Meanwhile, the polling dates for the 68-seat Himachal Pradesh Assembly have been announced. Voting will be held on November 12 and the declaration of votes will be done on December 8.
Why EC takes this decision?
As per the rules, officers directly connected with the conduct of elections in a state or union territory cannot be posted in their home districts or postings where they have served for a long period of time during the election. The Gujarat Chief Secretary on Wednesday complied with the Election Commission’s directive to transfer both police and administrative officers to their home districts or from the posts they have held for a long time, leading to 900 The officers have been transferred.
