No poll work for officers facing criminal case: EC

The Election Commission of India has directed the state government to keep officers facing criminal charges away from election work and poll-related duty. This was one of the instructions issued by the commission last week.

The EC also instructed that officers against whom it has recommended disciplinary action or who have been charged for lapse in any election work would not be assigned election-related duty.

The EC issued a fresh set of instructions for transfers of officers who are connected or are likely to be connected with elections directly or indirectly.  “No such officer should be allowed to continue in the present district of posting if he/she has been posted in his/her home district or if he/she has completed three years in that district in the last four years,” EC said.

The commission said that the instructions would not only cover officers appointed for specific election duties such as DEOs, returning officers and assistant returning officers, but also other officers like additional district magistrates, deputy collectors, SDMs, block development officers, among others.  

In the police department, the instructions are applicable to range IGs, DIGs, SPs, additional SPs, inspectors, sub inspectors, among others.

The EC ordered that a detailed review be undertaken before the election, and all such offers be posted out of their home districts or district where they have completed three years.

The EC also warned officers who try to circumvent the objective of their transfer by proceeding on leave and physically not moving out of the district from where they are transferred.

“Any officer who is due to retire in the next six months will be exempted from these instructions. Such officers may not be engaged in election duty,” EC said further.