Pre-poll SDM transfers quashed

NEW DELHI, October 11: Coming down heavily on the Delhi administration for effecting pre-poll transfers of Sub-Divisional Magistrates SD...

NEW DELHI, October 11: Coming down heavily on the Delhi administration for effecting pre-poll transfers of Sub-Divisional Magistrates SDMs, the Election Commission had directed it to restore status quo. Yet, even a fortnight later, the order remains only on paper.

The SDMs of five districts 8212; Seemapuri, Narela, Punjabi Bagh, Kalkaji and Najafgarh 8212; were transferred on September 22, a day before the election schedule was formally announced. Since SDMs also serve as Returning Officers ROs during elections, the Commission had asked the administration to revert them to their original posting.

In a letter to Delhi Chief Secretary Omesh Saigal, dated September 28, Deputy Election Commissioner Sayan Chatterjee had pointed out that the 8220;norms of propriety dictate that Returning Officers are not disturbed from their places of posting when we are in the run-up period of elections, irrespective of whether the formal announcement of model code of conduct has been made or not8221;.

Chatterjee also said that the Commission had issued clear directions on September 23 to the governments of the four states going to the polls in November that no DEOs, ROs and AROs be transferred. He added that the action of the Delhi Government in transferring these officers when the administration was gearing up for the polls was not fair.

The deputy election commissioner said that since the transferred officials have not put in any work in their new charges, the Commission sees no reason to justify disruption in the activities of these Returning Officers from their position, thereby directing the administration to restore the status quo in respect of all the SDMs transferred on September 22.

The officers who were transferred were: A.S. Dabas from Kalkaji to Najafgarh, Varsha Joshi from Najafgarh to Headquarters, Balwan Singh Jaglan from Punjabi Bagh to Narela, R.C. Verma from Narela to Seemapuri and R.P. Meena from Seemapuri to Headquarters North-West.