Election Commission of India Implements Transfers of Non-Cadre Officers to Ensure Fairness in Elections
In a bid to uphold the integrity and impartiality of the electoral process during the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken decisive action by ordering the transfer of non-cadre officers holding key positions as District Magistrates (DM) and Superintendents of Police (SP) in Gujarat, Punjab, Odisha, and West Bengal.
These transfers, affecting a total of eight non-cadre SPs/SSPs and five non-cadre DMs, aim to maintain a level playing field as mandated by the Commission. Recognizing the critical roles of DMs and SPs in ensuring fair elections, the Commission has underscored the need for encadred officers from the Indian Administrative Service and Indian Police Service to hold these positions.
Chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Shri Gyanesh Kumar and Shri Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, the decision was made after careful deliberation. The transfers target districts where non-cadre officers were serving in leadership roles.
The affected officers are as follows:
- In Gujarat, SPs of Chhota Udaipur and Ahmedabad Rural districts.
- In Punjab, SSPs of Pathankot, Fazilka, Jalandhar Rural, and Malerkotla districts.
- In Odisha, DM of Dhenkanal and SPs of Deogarh and Cuttack Rural districts.
- In West Bengal, DM of Purba Medinipur, Jhargram, Purba Bardhaman, and Birbhum districts.
Furthermore, in a move to mitigate any perception of bias or compromise in administration, the Commission has directed the transfer of SSP Bathinda in Punjab and SP Sonitpur in Assam, who have familial associations with elected political representatives.
These preemptive measures are aimed at ensuring the impartiality and neutrality of the administration throughout the electoral process. The respective state governments have been instructed to expedite the transfer of non-encadred officers from their current roles as DM and SP/SSP and submit a compliance report to the Commission without delay.
