ECI issued instructions for transfer of officers

The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a guideline for poll bound three states including Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland for transfer and posting of officers.

The ECI said that the Commission has been following a consistent policy that officers directly connected with conduct of elections in an election-going state are not posted in their home districts or places where they have served for a considerably long period.

Hence, the Commission has decided that no officer connected directly with elections shall be allowed to continue in the present district of posting if they are posted in their home district and completed three years in that district during the last four years or would be completing 3 years on or before March 31s, 2023 .

The tenure of Tripura legislative assembly will end on March 22, 2023 and ECI will conduct the assembly elections before the expiry tenure of assembly.

Official sources said that the Commission will conduct the elections of three Northeastern states probably in the mid part of February, 2023 next and so a massive rejig in state administration has already started and all government officers will be transferred , who are in their present posting places for the last three years.

The ECI in its notification also said that while calculating the period of three years , promotion to a post within the district is to be counted. If any state with a few number of districts, face any difficulty in compliance of the instruction, then it may refer the specific case with reasons to the Commission through CEO for exemption and these instructions shall cover not only officers appointed for specific election duties like district election officers, returning officers, EROs and officers appointed as nodal officers etc.