New Delhi: Ahead of Bihar assembly polls slated next month, the Election Commission today ordered the transfer of state Home Secretary Amir Subhani, nine district magistrates and seven senior police official including SPs and SSPs and said those transferred from districts should not be posted to any election-related post.
It asked the state Chief Secretary to send the poll body with a ‘compliance report' within 24 hours along with copies of transfer orders.
The EC also appointed Sudhir Kumar Rakesh, 1983 bath IAS officer, as the new Home Secretary. Since Subhani was also Secretary in charge of General Administration Department besides being the Home Secretary, the EC said the state government could post any other secretary-rank officer to the post.
It said Subhani “may be given any other assignment/post by the state government, as deem fit.” During the Model Code of Conduct, the EC has superintendence over the administrative machinery and is free to transfer officers.
District Magistrate-cum-District Election Officer of Patna Pratima Verma and Patna SSP Vikas Vaibhav are among the senior administrative and police officers transferred by the poll watchdog.
Last month, the Election Commission had ordered transfer of officials connected to the conduct of elections, who are either posted in their home districts or have served in places for long, as part of its procedure to ensure free and fair elections.
In a letter addressed to Chief Secretary and Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar, the poll watchdog, however, had made it clear that the transfer-posting order will not apply to Sector Officers though they are directly involved with the poll process.
“The Commission, in its task of conducting free and fair elections has followed the consistent policy to ensure that officers, who are connected with the conduct of elections in the state, do not serve in their home districts or places where they have served for long,” it had said.
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