Ban on MP transfers to stay till April

However, the orders said transfers may be effected in public health and family welfare, school education, higher education and tribal welfare department between April 1, 2000 and May 31, 2000.

During the period, transfers will be made in only mutual transfer cases which entail no financial burden on the government and when it is necessary to fill vacant posts.

Expenditures on such transfers will be borne by the government servant concerned.

Similarly, transfers may be effected as a result of rationalisation of teachers in such educational institutions where the teacher-student ratio exceeds the prescribed limit.

However, these transfers will not be from rural to urbanareas.

Meanwhile, BJP leader and former Bhopal mayor Uma Shanker Gupta today described as 8220;illegal and unconstitutional8221; some actions taken by Bhopal District Collector S K Vashisht as returning officer during the election of Bhopal Municipal Corporation chairman on January 13.

The former mayor quoting rules and procedcure for the election told reporters that apart from the elected corporator and the mayor no one can be allowed to be present in the hall where the election is supposed to take place.

Gupta said that despite this, the collector had given special permission to Congress member of Rajya Sabha, Suresh Pachouri, Minister in-charge for Bhopal Arif Aqueel and Congress MLA P C Sharma to be present at the election meeting.

He said the collector had also rejected the BJP demand to declare as invalid the vote cast by Ansaar Ansari as he had displayed to all present there the ballot paper used by him thus violating the secrecy of the election process.

Since the election process was totally 8220;illegal and unconstitutional8221; the state government should cancel the election, hold a re-poll and transfer the collector, he added.