ECI shifts 5 non-IAS district magistrates in four states

Taking forward its commitment for a level playing field in the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday issued transfer orders for non-cadre officers who are posted at leadership positions as District Magistrate (DM) and Superintendent of Police (SP) in four states –  Gujarat, Punjab, Odisha and West Bengal.

The posts of DM and SP in districts are encadred for officers from Indian Administrative and Indian Police Service respectively.

The decision was taken after the commission convened a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.

The officers to be transferred are: in Gujarat – SP of Chhota Udaipur and Ahmedabad Rural districts; in Punjab – SSP of Pathankot, Fazilka, Jalandhar Rural and Malerkotla districts; in Odisha – DM of Dhenkanal and SPs of Deogarh and Cuttack Rural districts and in West Bengal – DM of Purba Medinipur, Jhargram, Purba Bardhaman and Birbhum districts.

Additionally, the Commission has also directed for transfer of SSP Bathinda in Punjab and SP Sonitpur in Assam in view of their kinship or familial association with the elected political representatives. The officials in these two districts have been transferred as pre-emptive measures to dispel any apprehensions of administration being biased or perceived to be compromised.

Under the ECI directive, all respective state governments have been instructed to promptly transfer non-encadred officers from their current roles as DM and SP/SSP, with immediate effect, and submit a compliance report to the Commission.