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Journalism of Courage
Gearing up for Assembly elections in Gujarat, the Election Commission has asked the Gujarat Government to transfer all civil and police officers who have been posted for four years or more in either their home district or in any district.
‘‘These steps are essential to ensure that crucial officers in a district are impartial. Which is why officers who are serving in their own home districts or those who have stayed too long in a district are being asked to be transferred,’’ EC sources said.
The Commission has also finalised the voter lists, which have been revised to include missing riot victims and relief camps refugees, mostly belonging to the minority community. The revised lists have been put up for public scrutiny.
Gujarat Home Secretary K Nityanandam told The Indian Express that none of the IPS officers has been in the same district or post for four years or more anywhere in the state. ‘‘We are yet to receive an official communique, but I’m sure none of the officers has been in the same place for such a long time. This may be the case at the inspector and sub-inspector levels. We’ll see what’s to be done once we receive the directive,’’ he said.
At any rate, the State Home Department, General Administration Department and Revenue Department have a huge task at hand: the transfer order covers officers in the rank of collectors, returning officers, assistant returning officers, deputy commissioners, sub-divisional magistrates, IGs, DIGs, SPs, Deputy SPs, Inspectors and Sub Inspectors. Home Department sources said records of postings of more than 1,500 inspectors will have to be checked and a flurry of transfer are expected within the next 15 days.
Names of officials like Kalpana Mehta, Morbi Deputy Collector, Junagadh Resident Deputy Collector Bhavin Pandya, Porbandar Deputy Collector Dinesh Patel, Kutch Sub-divisional Magistrate A Garchar, Prant Officer, Bhavnagar Dhiren Buch, Rajkot Deputy Collector Dipak Shukla and at least three dozen other officials posted in Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Ahmedabad district, Valsad, Surat and Vadodara are in the list of those who have stayed at a particular district or at post since 4 years.
Anuradha Mansingh, Principal Secretary at the General Administration Department, said the department had received the EC order and was preparing a list. ‘‘It is a long list of officials posted in various districts. We are in the process of compiling the list. I can’t mention names because there would be many,’’ she said.
